MLB expert sees Giants as possible free agent destination for Soto Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
With the New York Yankees The batter Juan Soto Scheduled to become an MLB free agent next year, the Giants appear to be in prime position to land the superstar.
San Francisco is one of five teams on Soto’s short list of suitors, Jon Heyman of MLB Network believe.
“For me, No. 4 is the Giants, and we know they’ve been trying to get a big star for years, right?” Heyman said.
“(Giancarlo) Stanton, (Aaron) Judge, (Shohei) Ohtani, (Bryce) Harper. They tried to get Soto in a trade as well (and it didn’t work out). I think they have some hurdles, obviously, in a tough hitting park, but they have a chance.”
San Francisco has coveted a big-name superstar hitter for a long time, and Soto fits the profile perfectly. The 25-year-old is having One of his best seasons with the Yankees and will be highly sought after once MLB free agency begins.
The Giants haven’t landed a hitter of Soto’s caliber since the franchise signed Barry Bonds in 1993. While San Francisco hasn’t had any trouble developing and acquiring pitchers, it has struggled offensively, particularly this season. Heliot Ramos leads the Giants with 53 RBIs this season, while Soto has 83 RBIs.
However, the four-time MLB All-Star won’t be easy to land, as he is expected to command one of the highest salaries in the league. Since a player of Soto’s stature rarely hits the free agent market, many anticipate he will command something in the region of a $100,000 salary. Contract for 12 years and 482.5 million dollars.
Beyond that, Oracle Park is not known for being a hitter-friendly ballpark and it may be difficult for the Giants to shake off the doom-and-gloom narrative that has enveloped the city of San Francisco in recent years.
Still, Giants fans can dream of Soto destroying bombs at McCovey Cove and leading the franchise back to prominence among the National League’s elite teams.