Positive Outcomes on the Blue Jays Not Signing Juan Soto
Are we really surprised Jays fans?
While many Blue Jays fans expressed disappointment upon hearing the news that Juan Soto signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets, many others relieved, thankful that Atkins & company didn't break the bank for one single player.
Many yet were sceptical that the Jays were ever going to land him in the first place, especially after the Shohei Ohtani spectacle last year.
But there are some positive take aways from not signing Juan Soto:
Long contracts like these rarely see the finish line. This contract is no exception.
Soto, who will be playing for third team in four years, has an opt-out clause after 2029, his fifth year, if the contract is not raised to $805 million, essentially increasing the average annual value by $4 million a year.
Would it be worth spending that much money on a player you may only have for five years?
Also, while Soto plays right field, his defensive metrics have never been his strong suit (he has a career -28 OAA); he would probably move to DH at some point in his career. Is paying a DH that much worth it?
Beyond that though, the Blue Jays could take whatever money they were going to spend on Juan Soto and use it for three things:
The first, most obviously, is an extension of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Whether or not Vlad, who is a year younger than Soto, still wants to be a Blue Jay remains to be seen, but with one more year left before he becomes a free agent, the Blue Jays need to do all they can to sign him.
Pitching help is another aspect.
Several free agent starters are available and the Jays have money to spare. While the likelihood of landing Corbin Burnes is slim, he is not the only pitcher available.
Complimentary players.
This is could come in the form of a left-fielder, or, most probably the bullpen. Tyler O'Neill was available until recently, and those Devin Williams rumours aren't going away. The Jays would be wise to stock up here.
Although it is not surprising that the Blue Jays didn't land Soto, it is unusual that according to a couple of reports, Ross Atkins was openly telling free agents that the Blue Jays weren't entering any talks until Soto had made his decision.
While that's an understandable position to take - at least financially - it doesn't exactly inspire players to come north.
Hopefully, Atkins will be able to make some moves during the winter meetings.
| POLL | ||
After missing out on Soto what is the most important thing for the jays? | ||
| Extending Vlad Jr. | 256 | 88.3 % |
| A closer | 11 | 3.8 % |
| A starting pitcher | 8 | 2.8 % |
| A Complimentary player | 15 | 5.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
