By Dillon Flanigan
Sports Editor
On Wednesday, March 26, all baseball fans were experiencing a similar feeling as kids feel on Christmas Eve as the new season brings hope and optimism to fans.
Besides a minor signing here and there, the market was largely at a halt waiting for the 26-year-old phenom Juan Soto and his notorious agent Scott Boras to decide what team he wanted to sign with.
Rumors swirled after turning down extension offers from his previous teams in the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees what he would value while in free agency. Would it be what coast he prefers to play on, total money, length of contract or even if he liked the direction of the team’s future.
The Dominican Republic native was going to get paid because of his bat. Though as a Gold Glove finalist in 2024, he is considered to be below average in his fielding ability.
As a 19-year-old in the nation’s capital, Boras eyed him, advising him to wait until free agency to sign and not to entertain an extension. That was a savvy move by Boras, waiting to capitalize on the market ahead and not waiting for below-market money.
In the offseason, five different teams were involved in the Soto sweepstakes. Those teams included the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Yankees and small market teams in the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox where the top five teams heavily invested in landing Soto.
Ultimately the star chose 15 years for 765 million with the Mets over 16 years and 760 million with the Yankees. It is unclear why the Queens over the Bronx, other than the total price tag especially how the Yankees have a rich history of winning, including going to the World Series a year ago with Soto. The reason for the speculation is because of the additional luxury incentives in the contract including a suite for his family at Citi Field.
Frustrating at times for fans, wanting to secure the talented outfielder in the prime of his career without recognizing the free-market venture Major League Baseball has.
With the Mets owner Steve Cohen having the ability to print money, other small market owners are at a point of contention how they could contend with smaller arms than Cohen and Dodgers owner Mark Walter who in the previous offseason signed two-way player Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year contract worth 700 million.
After a lockout in the 2021-22 offseason, as the owners and Major League Baseball Players Association, MLBPA, remain at odds and still two years out from the end of the current labor contract; league commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. has publicly stated that there will be another lockout after the 2026 season.
If there is indeed a lockout, this time it will most likely be longer than the previous one as both sides are unwilling to budge on major issues.
