By Nate Hagerty
Contributing Sports Writer
The New York Yankees tasted the bitterness of defeat Wednesday after falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series and now must pivot to the offseason.
After being denied their 28th World Series title, the Yankees will look to upgrade their roster this winter so that next year's outcome will be different.
Unfortunately for New York, the Yankees have a highly coveted free agent who could end up in the National League Central next season.
"For a major market team with a payroll that ranked seventh in the majors in 2024, the Chicago Cubs are sorely lacking in star-caliber talent and do not have a true face of the franchise right now," Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter wrote Wednesday. "With one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, major market appeal and a glaring need for a face-of-the-franchise-level superstar, the Cubs can't be overlooked as a potential landing spot for (Juan) Soto this winter."
After batting .288 with 76 extra-base hits including 41 home runs, 109 RBIs and a .988 OPS in 157 games played for the Bronx Bombers this season, Soto is due for the payday of his life.
The four-time Silver Slugger is the prize of this winter's free-agent market. Any team that can afford the Soto's extremely high price tag will look to reel him in any way they can.
According to Spotrac, Soto's market value is approximately $473 million over a 13-year deal, translating to roughly $36 million annually.
However, the 26-year-old phenom could land a contract similar to Shohei Ohtani's record-breaking $700 million deal with the Dodgers last winter -- not as high, but in the $600 million over 15-year range.
If Cody Bellinger opts out of his contract for 2025, it would make sense for the Cubs to pursue the young superstar. If the books open for Soto and Chicago, this offseason could bring more heartache to Yankees fans following their devastating 2024 fall classic flop.
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