Juan Soto’s $600M Free Agency’s Market Shrinks With a Big Suitor Already “Ruling Out” His Pursuit

Who doesn’t want Juan Soto? While most teams are pursuing him in free agency, the Chicago Cubs are sticking to different plans this offseason. Soto is a big name, and to secure a player like that you need big cash – the Cubs have other ideas instead of spending millions on just one player. With eight of the top 100 prospects in baseball and around $50 million in payroll flexibility, the team is well-positioned to make significant deals. While high-profile free agents like Soto and Burnes might be out of reach, the Cubs have an eye for more budget-friendly targets.

They will likely hit the trade market and leverage the incredible players that they possess. As per the Athletic, the Cubs are ‘ruling out’ a pursuit of Juan Soto or Corbin Burnes. Instead, they seem set to make their biggest moves on the trade market, leveraging their impressive stockpile of talent. Veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud, with his 14 rounds of playoff experience, is reportedly on their radar. Additionally, the Cubs are keeping an eye on Roki Sasaki, the dynamic young pitcher from Japan, who could be available to MLB teams this winter.

The Cubs are targeting smart acquisitions that can plug immediate needs while continuing to build for the future. Pitching will remain their top priority this offseason. As Jed Hoyer noted, the key to postseason success is a deep, reliable pitching staff. “You watch the postseason, and you need a lot of arms to get through the entire marathon now,” Hoyer said.

Despite entering last season with what seemed like their best pitching depth in years, the Cubs found themselves scrambling as injuries took over. “A lot of guys went down, and we were scrambling,” Hoyer acknowledged; so keeping that in mind, the team will continue to prioritize adding as many quality arms as possible.

Japanese connection surpasses the Cubs’ pursuit of Juan Soto

In recent seasons, Jed Hoyer has worked very hard to build a relationship between the Chicago Cubs and the growing talent coming from Japan to Major League Baseball. This infrastructure was first established after the 2017 season when the Cubs signed star starting pitcher Yu Darvish. Since then, the Cubs have continued to strengthen their ties to Japan with key additions like Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga.

Darvish, even though he was with the San Diego Padres, played a pivotal role in the Cubs successfully recruiting Suzuki. His positive influence and experience with the Cubs helped Suzuki’s decision to join Chicago. In turn, Suzuki’s success and his experiences with the Cubs organization had a lasting impact on Imanaga, who chose to sign with Chicago last offseason. That further solidified the Cubs’ growing presence in Japan. The Cubs are hoping their previous relationships with Japanese players will eventually lead to the next big superstar pitcher for the organization.

This offseason, that dream could take a step closer to reality with Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old Japanese starter. While they are unwilling to pursue Juan Soto, the Cubs are instead focusing on the growing chatter surrounding Sasaki’s jump to MLB this winter. Because of his age, Sasaki would be eligible for a minor-league deal with a signing bonus of no more than $8 million. That’s a great deal for the Cubs – it would continue their strategy of tapping into Japanese talent for long-term success.

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