What Juan Soto's contract will look like and who can afford it

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto will hit free agency after the World Series, and it will be interesting to see what kind of contract he will sign. 

Soto's career numbers are spectacular — .285/.421/.532, with 201 home runs, 592 RBI, 655 runs, .953 OPS and 36.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference. He's walked 769 times with only 696 strikeouts.

Oh yeah, and he will only be 26 years old next season. 

Considering his youth and production, every team would love to have him, but realistically, only a handful probably have much of a chance. Based on his career numbers and performance, he could sign for something in the ballpark of 10 years and $500 million — if not more. 

Which teams can afford Soto?

What teams can afford such a price tag over that many years? The Dodgers, Mets and Yankees might be the only teams. It could be the Giants, who have been active with some big-name free agents in the past few years, though they've not locked any down. The Orioles have new ownership, and if they want to make a big splash by adding a wisened veteran to their bevy of young players, at 26, Soto would be the perfect addition. 

The Red Sox might have been on the list in the past, but they've been more frugal over the past several years. The Braves could be a possibility, but they've already committed to several future salaries by extending the salaries of several of their promising young players.

That's about it. This list could be extended dramatically if some of the owners agreed to creative accounting like the Dodgers did last offseason when they deferred salaries for Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez over several years. 

Competitive teams with strong foundations could become instantly fearsome with Soto on their roster. This list includes the Guardians, Brewers, Rangers, Royals, Mariners, Twins, Blue Jays and Cubs. 

Except for the Rangers and occasionally the Mariners, none of the organizations has a history of offering big salaries, even to superstars. 

Another factor that has to come into play is the murky future for television revenues for several teams, including the Guardians, Royals, Brewers, Rangers and Twins. Right now, those teams do not know how much revenue they will have from television, but it will most certainly go down. 

Most likely outcome for Soto

The most likely scenario seems to be the Yankees re-signing Soto and building around him and Aaron Judge. The two made a formidable pair in 2024, and Soto seemed more than comfortable in the Bronx. 

The number of suitors may not be large, but Soto will likely walk away with the second richest contract ever, behind only Ohtani. Players with his skills and youth do not often hit the open market. It would be nice if an unexpected team would swoop in and sign him, but that is an unlikely scenario.