Amid all of the buzz about their AL East rivals pursuing Juan Soto, the Toronto Blue Jays are serious about their desire to add the superstar outfielder to their roster in free agency.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Blue Jays' pursuit of Soto "is not a fantasy" and they could get him to sign if they "offer the right amount of money" in a contract.

The focus on Soto is built around MLB's marquee franchises, specifically the New York Yankees and New York Mets. Other clubs like the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies are also expected to be in the mix to some degree.

Toronto has put its hat in the ring by already having a meeting with Soto. Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted the Blue Jays made an "impressive" presentation to Soto's camp.

There is some evidence that Blue Jays ownership is willing to make a reasonable push to sign a superstar player. They were in the mix for Shohei Ohtani last offseason before he signed with the Dodgers.

Passan and Alden Gonzalez reported shortly after Ohtani made his decision in December 2023 the Blue Jays were one of three teams that agreed to the 10-year, $700 million deal with $680 million deferred contract structure that he was seeking.

The others were the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, with Los Angeles winning out.

Soto made it clear after the 2024 season ended that he is "open" to hearing from all 30 teams and doesn't "have any doors closed" as he engages in the free-agent process for the first time.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected Soto will ultimately sign for 13 years and $611 million. That type of deal would obliterate the richest contract in Blue Jays history. The honor currently belongs to George Springer's six-year, $150 million deal as a free agent in January 2021.

The Blue Jays need to make bold, aggressive moves this offseason if they hope to contend in the AL East in 2025. They finished last in the division with a 74-88 record in 2024. It was their first losing season since going 67-95 in 2019.