Dodgers out of the running for Juan Soto's contract rumors

The latest scuttlebutt around the MLB is that the Dodgers were hoping to use negotiations with Juan Soto to sign Teoscar Hernandez.

The baseball rumor mill is alive with speculation as the offseason heats up, but one thing that we are hearing quite a bit of is that Juan Soto’s path will not cross with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Recent whispers suggest the Dodgers’ interest in the star outfielder was more of a tactical ploy than a serious courtship. According to reports, the Dodgers were angling to drive up Soto’s price tag in hopes of cooling the market for Teoscar Hernández, their preferred target. Now, with the Dodgers reportedly bowing out of the Soto sweepstakes, the landscape is shifting.

Bob Nightengale reported that the Dodgers may have used their meeting with Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, as a chess move. The idea? Inflate Soto’s market value to keep rival teams preoccupied while Hernández’s contract negotiations simmered. Hernández, who has been a Dodgers’ mainstay this past season, now seems to be in a more manageable negotiating position.

Meanwhile, teams still in the hunt for Soto include heavy hitters like the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays. Each has its reasons for pursuing the generational talent, but Soto’s price tag will be astronomical. Insiders believe Steve Cohen’s Mets have the inside track, with Cohen’s reputation for outbidding rivals looming large. However, the Yankees, Red Sox, and even the Blue Jays could still surprise.

Dodgers Focus on Pitching Depth

Though they’re not pursuing Soto, the Dodgers remain busy elsewhere. They are bolstering their rotation, which carried them through last season’s successes despite numerous injuries. Shohei Ohtani is expected to enter the Dodgers rotation next year, adding a layer of complexity to the pitching staff. He will join Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a rotation that can use all the help they can get.

Mets: Money Talks

The Mets are widely considered the favorites to land Soto, largely thanks to owner Steve Cohen’s willingness to outspend everyone else. Cohen’s deep pockets have already transformed the Mets into a free-agency juggernaut, and Soto’s generational talent aligns perfectly with their championship ambitions. Executives around the league believe the Mets’ financial muscle gives them an edge no other team can match.

For Cohen, signing Soto would signal a clear message: the Mets are all-in on building a roster capable of dominating both now and for the next decade. Soto’s left-handed bat would anchor the middle of the lineup, complementing power hitters like Pete Alonso while adding much-needed consistency.