Juan Soto fits the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets and Guardians

Three of the teams in this year’s championship series are expected to be key players in this winter’s Juan Soto free agent sweepstakes: his current team, the New York Yankees, the crosstown rival New York Mets and the West Coast giant Los Angeles Dodgers . The Cleveland Guardians play…also in the LCS. (Hey, you never know.)

With the MLB Final Four taking center stage this week, we thought we’d give them a chance to make a preemptive pitch for what will soon be this offseason’s most in-demand superstar. For each team – including the Guardians – we picked one of ESPN’s MLB experts to make their case for why Soto should sign there. Additionally, Judge Jeff Passan has donned his robe and will bang his virtual gavel to score each pitch.

Let’s go.

New York Yankees

Jorge Castillo: Throughout his season in the Bronx, Soto has pointed to the history of this franchise and how winning a World Series title would cement his place in it. Now imagine what winning multiple championships would do. Imagine multiple parades through the Canyon of Heroes and Sotos #22 entering Monument Park along with all of these legendary numbers. Imagine returning to Yankee Stadium in 20, 30, 40 years for Old-Timers Day to reminisce with your teammates and receive the constant admiration of one of the sport’s most intense fan bases.

Within a year, Soto fit seamlessly into the clubhouse, teaming up with Aaron Judge to become the modern-day Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The Yankees won the AL East and are still contending for a World Series title. But it could be just the beginning. The Yankees have the money to back a winner and the brand to attract talent. Soto had the opportunity to feel the warmth of the audience every night for a year. Every run out into the outfield. During roll call. The Dominican flags. The “Re-sign So-to!” chants. The back and forth with the Bleacher Creatures. Soto enjoyed the stage. It was obvious. Now he can make it last.

Judge Jeff’s ruling: That’s a pretty good case. It’s not just the Yankees and their fans who love Soto. He returns it. Certainly how New York’s season goes will have an impact on his final decision, as will teams’ willingness to pursue Soto as his price tag jumps into the $500 million-plus range. Which, to be clear, is justified, because between Soto’s production (.288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs) and his age (26 next season), he’s right in his prime. Winning their 28th World Series would all but force the Yankees to re-sign Soto. Even if this is not the case, there is an urgent need for a “Paul to Judge’s John.”

New York Mets

Kiley McDaniel: The Yankees can try to sell Soto a winning tradition in the biggest market, but the Mets have actually been to a World Series more recently than their New York rivals. The Mets also have about $191 million left on the books after this season, and Steve Cohen will agree to spend all the money – with David Stearns, arguably the sport’s best president of baseball operations, overseeing the decisions.

Soto’s mere signing with the Mets – let alone leading them to their first World Series title since 1986 if they don’t win one this year – would electrify the fan base. It could become the most popular mead of all time. Soto won’t take Judge’s place as the most iconic or popular current Yankee, let alone overtake Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle or DiMaggio. Does he want to be just another great slugger for a team or the face of a franchise in the decades to come?

And when it comes down to it, most people in baseball think of the Mets will offer So the most money this winter, enough to ensure the Yankees wouldn’t be willing to match or even come close. Does Soto want to be able to go directly to his owner to add more talent when it matters, or does he want to know that Hal Steinbrenner wants to manage his annual profit and CBT status in a certain way so that the team can’t add another star?

Biggest market, same or better team, biggest contract… what else does Soto want to get?

Judge Jeff’s ruling: Again, it’s not a bad job as a salesman, and the idea that Soto could do well The All-Time Met – a title currently held by Tom Seaver, with Mike Piazza, David Wright, Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez as top players – is pretty enticing. Pairing him with Francisco Lindor doesn’t hurt the Mets either. One element that goes unmentioned is the villainy that would accompany a crosstown move, especially if the Yankees’ season ends without a ring. No star left the Yankees for the Mets while near his peak. Soto would instantly make him the most polarizing player in the city’s history, and as heroic as he would be in Flushing, living as Public Enemy No. 1 in the Bronx is a mantle few, if any, would care to wear.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Alden González: Something amazing happens in Los Angeles in the summer. It gets hot, but also stays cool. You’ll feel the sun beating down on you while experiencing a fresh, gentle breeze – gentle enough to feel some warmth, strong enough not to weigh you down. It’s like the best of both worlds.

Oh, that reminds me: The Dodgers have a guy who can throw and hit. Have you ever heard of him? His name is Shohei Ohtani and he is the best baseball player in the world. Maybe ever. They also have Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman and — at least for another year — Clayton Kershaw. They are the best chance to win the division in this extremely unpredictable sport.

In LA, Soto can play in a huge but not overwhelming market. He gets to play with some of the best players in the world. He can leave a legacy for a historic franchise. And he will hardly break a sweat.

Judge Jeff’s ruling: Sunny days in Los Angeles enchant even the most cynical people, and the prospect of turning the Dodgers’ trio of Hall of Fame bats into a quartet is truly enticing. But remember: Soto spent a year in San Diego, where the weather is better and the talent is similar, and he didn’t lament his move from there to the Yankees. There are also no direct flights from California to the Dominican Republic, and for a player as close to his family as Soto, that’s an obstacle that can make a difference. Many players simply accept the inconveniences that come with West Coast teams, but for someone like Soto, who can choose his destination, it’s often these factors that make the difference in a close race.

Cleveland Guardians

Jesse Rogers: Cleveland seems like a strong underdog on this list, so let’s get straight to it. Cleveland can offer one thing other teams can’t: the glory of being a superstar, but with the anonymity of living in a Midwestern city. There will be pressure, but not as overwhelming as in New York – and LA is really no different.

Soto can be part of a winner in Cleveland, and just like those other teams, he would partner with another great player in the lineup. Jose Ramirez is more beloved by Guardians fans than almost any other player by the fan base, and the Soto/Ramirez pairing can be just as magical as the Soto/Judge pairing in New York this season. And if this duo can lead the Guardians to a World Series title, the franchise and the entire city will always remember Soto in a way that simply doesn’t exist in a major market like New York or LA

Sure, Cleveland’s payroll pales in comparison to the other teams, but that means there’s room for a decent salary for a next-generation slugger with the chance to add what Cleveland has brought to the roster to complement the roster to use. And if you like competition, the AL Central is a hell of a lot of fun these days.

Judge Jeff’s ruling: An A for effort. But Soto was already working in a smaller market in San Diego, and the appeal of relative anonymity wasn’t strong enough to persuade him to consider an extension. Additionally, the largest free agent contract Cleveland has ever handed out is the three-year, $60 million contract signed by Edwin Encarnacion, who was traded after his second season in Cleveland. Soto makes sense for Cleveland because Soto makes sense for any team, but it’s not a stretch to assume his contract with the Guardians is about as likely as the team reconsidering his nickname and returning to the Indians. It doesn’t happen.