New York, L.A. … Cleveland?! Making the Juan Soto free agency pitch for each LCS team
Three of the teams in this year’s league championship series are expected to be major players in the Juan Soto free agent sweepstakes this winter: his current team, the New York Yankees, the crosstown rival New York Mets and the West Coast behemoth Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cleveland Guardians are … also playing in the LCS. (Hey, you never know.)
With MLB’s final four on center stage this week, we figured we’d give them the chance to make a preemptive pitch to this offseason’s soon-to-be most sought-after superstar. For each team — including the Guardians — we’ve tagged one of ESPN’s MLB experts to present the case for why Soto should sign there. Additionally, Judge Jeff Passan has put on his robe and will bang his virtual gavel to rate each pitch.
Here we go.
New York Yankees
Jorge Castillo: Throughout his season in the Bronx, Soto has pointed to this franchise’s history 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 Soto’s No. 22 entering Monument Park alongside all those legendary numbers. Imagine returning to Yankee Stadium in 20, 30, 40 years for Old Timers’ Day to reminisce with teammates, to receive the perpetual adulation from one of the most intense fan bases in this sport.
In one year, Soto seamlessly fit into the clubhouse and teamed with Aaron Judge to become the modern Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The Yankees won the AL East and are still competing for a World Series title. But it could be just the beginning. The Yankees have the money to sustain a winner and the brand to attract talent. Soto has had a one-year opportunity to feel the warmth from the crowd every night. With every jog out to the outfield. During the roll call. The Dominican flags. The “Re-sign So-to!” chants. The back-and-forth with the Bleacher Creatures. Soto relished the stage. It was obvious. Now he can make it forever.
Judge Jeff’s verdict: That’s a pretty good case. It’s not just that the Yankees and their fans love Soto. He reciprocates it. Certainly the trajectory of New York’s season will have bearing on his ultimate decision, as well as the teams’ willingness to chase Soto as his price tag jumps into the $500 million-plus range. Which, to be clear, is warranted, because between Soto’s production (.288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs) and age (26 next season), he is squarely in his prime. Winning their 28th World Series would almost force the Yankees to re-sign Soto. Even if they don’t, the need for a Paul to Judge’s John is acute.
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 coming off the books after this season, and Steve Cohen is going to approve spending all of that money — with arguably the best president of baseball operations in the sport overseeing the decisions in David Stearns.
Soto simply 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. He could end up the most beloved Met of all time. Soto won’t take Judge’s spot as the most iconic or popular current Yankee, much less pass Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle or DiMaggio. Does he want to be just another great slugger for a team or the face of a franchise for decades to come?
And, if it matters, a majority of people in baseball think the Mets will offer Soto 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 appeal to his owner directly to add more talent when it matters most, or be told Hal Steinbrenner wants to manage his yearly profit and CBT status a certain way, so the team can’t add another star?
Biggest market, equal or better team, biggest contract … what else is Soto looking to get?
Judge Jeff’s verdict: Not a bad sales job here, either, and the notion Soto could go down as the all-time Met — a title currently held by Tom Seaver, with Mike Piazza, David Wright, Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez all in the running as the top position player — is quite alluring. Pairing him with Francisco Lindor also doesn’t hurt the Mets’ case. One element not noted is the villainy that would accompany a crosstown move, particularly if the Yankees’ season ends without a ring. No star has left the Yankees for the Mets while near his apex. Soto doing that would immediately make him the most polarizing player in the city’s history, and as heroic as he’d be in Flushing, living as Public Enemy No. 1 in the Bronx is a cloak few, if any, would care to wear.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Alden Gonzalez: An amazing thing happens during summers in Los Angeles. It gets hot, but it also stays cool. You can feel the sun beating down on you and at the same time experience a crisp, subtle breeze — faint enough to feel some warmth, strong enough to keep it from bogging you down. It’s like the best of both worlds.
Oh, that reminds me: The Dodgers have a dude who can pitch and hit. Ever heard of him? His name is Shohei Ohtani, and he’s the best baseball player in the world. Maybe ever. They also have Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman and — for one more year, at least — Clayton Kershaw. They’re as much a lock to win the division as there can possibly be in this highly unpredictable sport.
In L.A., Soto can star in a market that is enormous but also not suffocating. He can play alongside some of the best players in the world. He can carve out a legacy for a historic franchise. And he’ll hardly break a sweat while doing so.
Judge Jeff’s verdict: Sunny Los Angeles days do enchant even the most cynical people, and the prospect of turning the Dodgers’ trio of Hall of Fame bats into a quartet has real appeal. But remember: Soto spent a year in San Diego, where the weather is better and the talent similar, and he didn’t lament his trade from there to the Yankees. There are no direct flights from California to the Dominican Republic, either, and for a player as close with his family as Soto, that’s the sort of impediment that can make a difference. Plenty of players shrug off whatever inconveniences West Coast teams provide, but for someone who can pick his destination such as Soto, these factors often are the differentiator in a close race.
Cleveland Guardians
Jesse Rogers: Cleveland might seem like a heavy underdog on this list, so let’s get right to the point. Cleveland can offer one thing those other teams can’t: The fame of being a superstar, but with the anonymity of living in a Midwest city. There will be pressure, but not the overwhelming kind experienced in New York — and L.A. is really no different.
Soto can be a part of a winner in Cleveland, and just like on those other teams, he would be paired with another great player in the lineup. Jose Ramirez is beloved by Guardians fans in a way few other players are by any fan base, and the Soto/Ramirez pairing can be just as magical as the Soto/Judge pairing was 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 just doesn’t exist in a big market such as New York or L.A.
Sure, Cleveland’s payroll pales in comparison with the rest of these teams’, but that means there is room for a going-rate salary for a generational hitter, with the chance to use what has worked to get Cleveland this far to supplement the roster. And if you like competition, the AL Central is pretty darn fun these days.
Judge Jeff’s verdict: An A for effort. But Soto already has been in a smaller market in San Diego, and the appeal of relative anonymity wasn’t strong enough to compel him to consider an extension. Beyond that is the fact the largest free agent contract ever given out by Cleveland is the three-year, $60 million deal signed by Edwin Encarnacion, who was traded after his second season in Cleveland. Soto makes sense for Cleveland because Soto makes sense for every team, but it’s no stretch to suggest that him signing with the Guardians is about as likely as the team reconsidering its nickname change and going back to the Indians. It’s not happening.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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