Sports
Juan Soto Free Agency Watch: Which MLB Teams Are Best Fit?
Oct 29, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) doubles during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Juan Soto’s sixth full big league season ended at 11:51 PM Wednesday night, when the New York Yankees were eliminated from the World Series with a 7-6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the Fall Classic.
The real intrigue started just nine minutes later.
Soto’s free agency — the most anticipated foray into the open market since Alex Rodriguez 24 years ago — officially began at midnight Thursday. When it ends is anybody’s guess, since Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, has never met a free agency he didn’t enjoy dragging out.
But eventually, a team is going to write a very large check (it’s going to start with “600,” or maybe “700”) and land itself a generational talent who has a chance to not only make the Hall of Fame but end his career as one of the best players ever.
Soto, who turned 26 on Oct. 25, ranks among the top-25 hitters all-time through age 25 in home runs (201, tied for seventh with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout), WAR (17th at 36.4, per Baseball Reference), on-base percentage (20th at .421) and OPS+ (23rd at 160).
Of course, we don’t need to sit here and fill up one of Boras’ infamous binders for him. You know how good Juan Soto has been and how good he could be for the duration of his next contract. But who will win the Soto sweepstakes and get his services for the next 10 years or longer? Here’s our guess, ranked from most likely to least likely with a dark horse at the end.
NEW YORK YANKEES
The Yankees — who went 82-80 without Soto in 2023 — might need Soto more than anyone else. Sure, they could take the money Soto will require and dole it out to numerous other players who could shore up a top-heavy team, but do you trust Brian Cashman — the architect of this top-heavy team — to find the right secondary pieces? Owner Hal Steinbrenner is the polar opposite of his dad in almost every way, but he knows gate attractions and has paid to keep Aaron Judge and to lure Gerrit Cole. Now will he spend almost as much on Soto as he did on Judge and Cole?
NEW YORK METS
Steve Cohen is the owner of the New York Mets. credits: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire | source: AP Might this finally be the Big Apple bidding war we’ve all been waiting for? Steve Cohen has the bucks and the gumption to go toe-to-toe with Steinbrenner and just watched his fun, feisty, and sum-is-better-than-the-parts team push the Dodgers to six games in the NLCS. Their right fielders hit just .258 with 14 homers, 67 RBIs and a .709 OPS this season, which means Soto would be a massive offensive upgrade. And what if Soto didn’t replace Pete Alonso, the free agent first baseman, but just slotted into the lineup ahead of him?
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) celebrates after winning the 2024 MLB World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Sure, the newly crowned World Series champions don’t NEED Soto. But the Dodgers are the modern version of the George Steinbrenner-era Yankees, who would just go get the best players on the market because they could. Shohei Ohtani’s deferred contract makes anything possible, including Soto signing for a good $600 million in real-time money, moving to left field and forming a nightmarish top four as the Dodgers try to build a dynasty.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Jun 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) reacts after running to first against the Miami Marlins in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports Yeah, Bryce Harper is due more than $181 million through 2031. But owner John Middleton is one of the few owners who runs his team like a fan, and general manager Dave Dombrowski has been a go-for-it executive for four decades. You can bet they’ve already imagined Soto and Harper batting back-to-back and taking aim at Citizen Bank Park’s right field porch.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Aug 2, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) follows through on an RBI single against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports For a day or so last fall, it looked like the Blue Jays were getting Ohtani. Alas, flight trackers are not always accurate, and Toronto finished in last place in the AL East, which surely increased the heat on the front office duo of Mark Shapiro — especially with homegrown superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the verge of free agency.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Oct 1, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey speaks with the media after an introductory press conference at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images One of these years the Giants will land a big-time free agent… right? Soto’s left-handed swing and impeccable plate discipline would make him a worthy McCovey Cove-splashing successor to Barry Bonds, but there’s no doubt the Giants would have to be the highest bidder to lure Soto back to the west coast with a team that’s had one winning season in the last eight years.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
Juan Soto reacts after being hit by a foul ball while batting during the seventh inning credits: Gregory Bull | source: AP Soto and late owner Peter Seidler were reportedly closing in on a deal before Seidler’s illness. It’s hard to imagine the Padres revisiting Soto now that he’ll surely cost a couple hundred million more, but never underestimate the determination of perpetually all-in general manager A.J. Preller.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Juan Soto started his career with the Washington Nationals. source: Getty Images Here’s the most intriguing dark horse of all.
With the Lerner family preparing to sell the team, the Nationals traded Soto to the Padres shortly after he turned down a 15-year, $440-million offer in 2022. But the Lerners pulled the team off the market, which means a reunion can’t be ruled out. The tandem of general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez remain fond of Soto, as does a fan base that welcomed him back with a standing ovation when the Yankees visited Washington D.C. in August. Might Soto pull a LeBron James, go back to where it all started and cement himself as the best player in franchise history?
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
