Rays join growing list of Juan Soto suitors as two other mystery teams emerge

SAN ANTONIO — Seven teams that person called connected Juan Soto are known, and while 1 is simply a awesome astonishment — the homeless-at-the-moment Tampa Bay Rays — nan different six are each major-market teams that person large payrolls and presumably a overmuch amended changeable than nan astonishing Rays.

For now, Tampa has to beryllium viewed arsenic a distant seventh connected nan list, arsenic it’s difficult to ideate them competing pinch nan biggest markets successful baseball, starting pinch some New York teams but not astir ending there.

Word is location are 2 much small- aliases middle-market teams interested, truthful while 1 enigma is revealed, location are others for nan subordinate who could bid adjacent to $700M.

Juan Soto has 7 known teams checking successful connected him. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Here are nan magnificent 7 (plus nan section because location are apparently astatine slightest 4 much teams — pinch a mates coming from awesome markets — that stay unknown).

1. Yankees: The incumbent squad is afloat of advantages aft Soto seemed to bask his twelvemonth successful The Bronx. But they aren’t a squad that writes blank checks, which could unfastened nan doorway to others, including nan squad 8 miles to nan southbound and east.

2. Mets: They are successful connected Soto and should beryllium a awesome subordinate acknowledgment to their improving position and proprietor Steve Cohen’s largesse (and his willingness to walk to win). The apical extracurricular threat.

3. Dodgers: They play for almost each superstar who comes free, truthful it’s nary astonishment they’re interested. But does Soto want to spell backmost west?

4. Blue Jays: The Yankees spot them arsenic nan second-biggest obstacle aft nan Mets because they’re skeptical Soto would spell to nan westbound coast.

5. Red Sox: Word is they are softly laying nan groundwork to statesman spending and competing again aft wholly laying debased for years. Which would wounded nan Yankees more: If he went to nan Mets aliases Boston? Tough telephone there.

6. Giants: They play for large stars but person had problem landing them, peculiarly hitters. The metropolis is lovely, but nan ballpark is amended for pitchers.

7. Rays: They did make a play for Freddie Freeman, but this whitethorn beryllium 4 times much money. Probably nan agelong changeable of nan century. At nan moment, they don’t moreover person a tile complete their heads. “They emotion to pursuit bully players, but they request to find retired wherever they’re playing first,” 1 personification acquainted pinch their reasoning said.

Erik Neander, Tampa Bay Rays president of shot operations. AP

8. Field: There are thought to beryllium astatine slightest 4 much teams. His original Nationals squad likes him, but he’s astir apt excessively rich | for them now. The Cubs look focused connected pitching. The remaining four-plus are existent mysteries.