Juan Soto will be the most talked about player in baseball this offseason as he gets set for his first trip to free agency after falling short of winning the World Series.

The 25-year-old outfielder is on a Hall of Fame trajectory and one of the true superstars in the game today, and his age means his next contract will be made up largely of prime seasons, rather than having to pay for his late-career decline as is the case with most free agents who sign long-term deals.

The New York Yankees are expected to do everything they can to keep him around after a fantastic 2024 season, but other teams are sure to make a serious push to add one of the best players to ever hit the open market.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post listed the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays as seven potential Soto landing spots in a video for Bleacher Report.

Ahead we've ranked his 10 most likely destinations—including those seven teams—as well as given reasoning for why the other 20 teams will not be a factor in his market this winter.

First things first, let's try to figure out how much it's going to cost to add him to the roster.

What Will Juan Soto Be Worth in Free Agency?

It's going to take a lot of zeroes to convince Juan Soto to sign on the dotted line this winter.

"The industry agrees the floor for his contract will be $500 million," wrote Jeff Passan of ESPN while citing his age as much as his skill for the logic behind that figure.

While most players reach free agency sometime around their age-29 or age-30 seasons, Soto just turned 26 years old this past Friday, celebrating his birthday by taking the field for Game 1 of the World Series.

That means the team that signs Soto will be paying for at least three additional prime seasons relative to the average free agent, and that is a result of Soto debuting when he was still just 19 years old and setting his arbitration clock in motion far sooner than most.

So what does all of that mean for his asking price?

It's likely going to be a deal of at least 10 years and could push closer to 15 years if that level of security is what Soto is looking for this winter.

He reportedly declined a 15-year, $440 million extension offer from the Washington Nationals back in 2022, and he has done nothing to warrant his salary expectations dropping in the years since, so he will be aiming higher than that figure.

The 10-year, $700 million contract that Shohei Ohtani signed last offseason actually carries a present-day value of around $460 million when all of the deferred money is taken into account, and that could also be a number Soto aims to exceed.

A few weeks ago, I predicted a 15-year, $600 million deal in an article identifying the leading candidates to join baseball's $100 million club this offseason, and that could be the ceiling for his earning power.

That is the type of figure that is going to be thrown around this winter for a player who hit .288/.419/.569 for a 178 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 41 home runs, 109 RBI and 7.9 WAR in 157 games in his first season in Yankee pinstripes.

Who might be willing to meet that lofty asking price...

Why the Other 20 Teams Are Not a Logical Fit

These teams do not spend at a level that will allow them to pursue Soto:

• Cincinnati Reds
• Cleveland Guardians
• Kansas City Royals
• Miami Marlins
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Minnesota Twins
• Oakland Athletics
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• Tampa Bay Rays

These teams are not close enough to contention to be an attractive landing spot:

• Chicago White Sox
• Colorado Rockies
• Los Angeles Angels
• Washington Nationals

These teams are focused on shedding payroll this offseason:

• St. Louis Cardinals
  
• Texas Rangers

These teams will be more focused on the pitching market than on adding another bat:

• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Atlanta Braves
  
• Baltimore Orioles
• Houston Astros
• Philadelphia Phillies

10. San Diego Padres

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. 1B Luis Arraez
2. RF Fernando Tatis Jr.
3. LF Juan Soto
4. 3B Manny Machado
5. CF Jackson Merrill
6. SS Xander Bogaerts
7. 2B Jake Cronenworth
8. DH Eguy Rosario
9. C Luis Campusano

It's a long shot to think Soto will return to the San Diego Padres, but him still wearing a Padres uniform is a scenario that was closer to happening than many realized.

"[Padres owner] Peter [Seidler] and I were knee-deep in Juan Soto [contract] discussions," agent Scott Boras told reporters. "Well advanced. His illness really stopped the process because we knew the organization would be different. He wanted to push it through even though he was ill."

Soto was ultimately traded a month after Seidler died last offseason, but if negotiations were that far long on a potential extension, he was at least open to the idea of spending the rest of his career in San Diego.

That's reason enough to slot them at No. 10 in these rankings.

9. Detroit Tigers

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. CF Parker Meadows
2. LF Juan Soto
3. RF Riley Greene
4. 3B Matt Vierling
5. DH Kerry Carpenter
6. 1B Spencer Torkelson
7. 2B Colt Keith
8. SS Trey Sweeney
9. C Jake Rogers

If you're looking for a true dark horse in the Juan Soto market, look no further than the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers have waded into the deep end of free agency in the past, signing Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million deal once upon a time, while also shelling out nine figures on the ill-fated Jordan Zimmermann and Javier Báez contracts.

They got hot at the right time to make an unexpected playoff push, but looking at the bigger picture the offense ranked 19th in the majors in runs scored, and finding a true offensive star to slot alongside up-and-comers like Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Colt Keith would take a team on the rise to the next level.

Pitching is the strength of the Tigers roster, and while signing Tarik Skubal to an extension will also be an expensive priority, Soto could be that missing piece that pushes them over the top.

8. San Francisco Giants

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. CF Jung Hoo Lee
2. DH Heliot Ramos
3. LF Juan Soto
4. 3B Matt Chapman
5. 1B LaMonte Wade Jr.
6. SS Tyler Fitzgerald
7. RF Mike Yastrzemski
8. C Patrick Bailey
9. 2B Casey Schmitt

The Giants have consistently whiffed in their pursuit of top-tier free agents, but there is a new front office in place with Buster Posey now in the role of president of baseball operations, and he already got one major deal done when Matt Chapman was signed to a new six-year, $151 million deal.

Convincing Soto to come to a pitcher-friendly ballpark won't be easy, and sharing a division with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks also makes for an uphill battle to climb into the playoff picture.

Soto would be the face of the franchise the team has been lacking the past several seasons, and his well-rounded offensive game makes him less reliant than most sluggers on power production to drive his value.

It would certainly move the needle for the Giants, but does Soto see them as a viable World Series contender in the short term?

7. Boston Red Sox

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. CF Jarren Duran
2. LF Juan Soto
3. 3B Rafael Devers
4. 1B Triston Casas
5. SS Trevor Story
6. RF Wilyer Abreu
7. DH Masataka Yoshida
8. C Connor Wong
9. 2B Ceddanne Rafaela

The Red Sox have a crowded outfield even with Tyler O'Neill set to depart in free agency, with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu set for starting roles, but they would not think twice about finding a way to fit Soto into the lineup.

Ideally, a major offensive addition would be a right-handed hitter to bring some balance to a lineup that already has left-handed hitters Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers and Triston Casas penciled into prominent roles, but Soto had an OPS over .900 against lefties and righties in 2024, so he essentially functions as a switch hitter.

The biggest question here is whether the Red Sox would prioritize a hitter over shoring up a starting rotation that needs at least one more frontline arm to slot alongside Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Lucas Giolito once he returns from Tommy John surgery.

Stealing Soto from the Yankees would be fitting revenge for the Johnny Damon and Jacoby Ellsbury signings, but it might not be the most logical move for a Red Sox team with other glaring needs.

6. Seattle Mariners

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. RF Victor Robles
2. LF Juan Soto
3. CF Julio Rodríguez
4. C Cal Raleigh
5. DH Randy Arozarena
6. 1B Luke Raley
7. SS J.P. Crawford
8. 3B Josh Rojas
9. 2B Dylan Moore

No team is in more desperate need of a superstar-caliber offensive player than the Seattle Mariners, who have baseball's best starting rotation returning intact, a stacked bullpen and the makings of a good lineup if a middle-of-the-order bat is added to the mix.

Julio Rodríguez ended the season on a high note after an underperforming for much of the year, and getting him back to playing at an MVP-caliber level alongside Cal Raleigh's 30-homer power and a full season of Randy Arozarena gives the Mariners plenty of offensive upside.

However, slotting Soto into the middle of the lineup completely transforms this team, and might be enough to make them clear favorites in the AL West with the Houston Astros at something of a crossroads.

The Mariners gave Robinson Cano a 10-year, $240 million deal when it looked like he could be the missing piece in a title run, so they have shown a willingness to spend big on the right player in the past.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. DH Shohei Ohtani
2. RF Mookie Betts
3. LF Juan Soto
4. 1B Freddie Freeman
5. C Will Smith
6. 3B Max Muncy
7. SS Tommy Edman
8. CF Andy Pages
9. 2B Gavin Lux

The creative nature of Shohei Ohtani's heavily deferred contract means the Los Angeles Dodgers could conceivably make a run at signing Soto this offseason without going so far into the luxury tax threshold that it bankrupts the organization.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Dodgers intend to make a play for Soto in free agency "if he's interested" in signing with them, and if winning is a priority there is no reason to think Soto won't be interested.

The bigger question is whether this is simply posturing on the part of the Dodgers to help drive up the price for someone else, or if they would seriously prioritize another superstar bat over shoring up the pitching staff.

Then again, when it comes to the Dodgers, it's not always a matter of one or the other. They could sign a top starting pitcher and Soto if last offseason is any indication of their willingness to spend.

4. Toronto Blue Jays

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. RF George Springer
2. LF Juan Soto
3. 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
4. SS Bo Bichette
5. CF Daulton Varsho
6. DH Spencer Horwitz
7. C Alejandro Kirk
8. 3B Ernie Clement
9. 2B Will Wagner

No team suffered more heartbreak in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes last offseason than the Toronto Blue Jays, and after making a serious push to sign the two-way superstar, it's clear the front office is ready and willing to spend on the right player.

However, it's fair to wonder how a disappointing 74-88 record and last-place finish in the AL East standings has altered their short- and long-term plans.

They sold aggressively at the trade deadline, but stopped short of moving anything beyond rental players and a few controllable bullpen arms, so they still have a wealth of veteran talent on the roster.

Slotting Soto alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would give the Blue Jays a formidable one-two punch, and bounce-back seasons from Bo Bichette and George Springer could potentially make it one of the best offenses in baseball.

3. Chicago Cubs

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. LF Ian Happ
2. DH Seiya Suzuki
3. RF Juan Soto
4. 3B Isaac Paredes
5. 1B Michel Busch
6. SS Dansby Swanson
7. 2B Nico Hoerner
8. C Miguel Amaya
9. CF Pete Crow-Armstrong

For a major market team with a payroll that ranked seventh in the majors in 2024, the Chicago Cubs are sorely lacking in star-caliber talent and do not have a true face of the franchise right now.

Juan Soto could be that guy.

The above projected lineup assumes that Cody Bellinger opts out of the final two years and $50 million of his current contract in search of more guaranteed money in free agency, and that's far from a sure thing. If he opts in, it's harder to see how Soto fits, unless there is a corresponding move to flip Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki for pitching help.

With one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, major market appeal and a glaring need for a face-of-the-franchise-level superstar, the Cubs can't be overlooked as a potential landing spot for Soto this winter.

2. New York Mets

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. SS Francisco Lindor
2. RF Juan Soto
3. 3B Mark Vientos
4. 1B Pete Alonso
5. LF Brandon Nimmo
6. DH Starling Marte
7. 2B Jeff McNeil
8. C Francisco Alvarez
9. CF Tyrone Taylor

Would signing Soto mean the New York Mets are out of the running to bring back their own top free agent Pete Alonso?

If the Los Angeles Dodgers taught us anything last offseason, it's that one megadeal does not preclude a free-spending owner from making a second megadeal, especially if one of those players is willing to sign a creatively structured contract.

With Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Paul Blackburn the only locks for a spot in the 2025 starting rotation, along with Tylor Megill as a strong candidate for the No. 4 job, the Mets will also need to sign at least one quality starting pitcher, even with top prospect Brandon Sproat knocking on the door.

Steve Cohen's willingness to spend makes it reasonable to think the Mets can check off all of those items on the to-do list while still adding Soto to the mix, and at this point, there is little question they are the biggest threat to the Yankees' re-signing efforts.

1. New York Yankees

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
2. RF Juan Soto
3. CF Aaron Judge
4. C Austin Wells
5. DH Giancarlo Stanton
6. SS Anthony Volpe
7. 2B Oswaldo Cabrera
8. 1B Ben Rice
9. LF Jasson Dominguez

With Gleyber Torres also headed for free agency and Anthony Rizzo likely to have his $17 million club option declined, the New York Yankees lineup is going to have a different look next season, regardless of whether Soto is re-signed.

That said, those potential departures make bringing him back even more important.

The truth is, the optics of the Yankees losing Soto in free agency are almost as big a factor as his actual on-field production, and losing out on re-signing him for any financial reason simply cannot be part of the narrative for the New York front office.

Tying up so much money in Judge and Soto is a risky move, but it's also the team's best shot at winning a title in the near future, as there is simply no alternative option that can replace the impact that Soto makes offensively.

A lot can change in the coming months, but as things stand right now, anything besides a reunion with the Yankees would be a surprise.