Juan Soto Rumors: Blue Jays Making 'Strong Push' amid Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers Buzz

The Toronto Blue Jays are "making a strong push" to sign free-agent slugger Juan Soto, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Toronto is one of five teams still chasing Soto along with the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and New York Yankees. SNY's Andy Martino reported Monday that there's "widespread belief" the Blue Jays will table the highest offer.

Martino wasted no time throwing cold water on the idea of Soto going north of the border, writing in the next sentence of his piece that "there is also widespread skepticism that Soto would go to the Blue Jays."

Rosenthal shared that doubt, pointing to the impending free agencies of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette after the 2025 season and how the franchise's outlook could be much different this time next winter.

The on-field impact of signing Soto is obvious. The 26-year-old is a generational hitter who draws comparisons on Baseball Reference to Bryce Harper, Frank Robinson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Trout through this point in their careers.

Soto is a cornerstone who can anchor an offense for a decade or more.

Winning this sweepstakes would also potentially be a significant boost to the Blue Jays' overall image.

Being a finalist for top stars—Toronto was in the hunt for Shohei Ohtani last offseason—is all well and good. Sooner or later, you need to seal the deal.

The San Francisco Giants have similarly chased a lot of marquee targets and come up short pretty much every time in recent years. Eventually, that becomes part of your identity and the fanbase responds accordingly.

Even if Soto signs and beats a hasty retreat from Toronto after a few seasons, getting him in the first place would be a clear signal. Look at how much the San Diego Padres' image has shifted after they landed Manny Machado in 2019.

Alas, Jays fans are probably staying realistic about Soto and may not want to get burned again after how Ohtani's free agency unfolded.