Juan Soto To The Dodgers? It May Not Be As Unlikely As It Sounds

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Juan Soto has been everything the New York Yankees could have hoped for, and more, in his first season in the Bronx.

On pace for the best full season of his career, Soto's added five wins above replacement through the first half of the year. Thanks in large part to a .303/.437/.568 batting line and, for the first time in his career, positive defensive ratings. 

Soto's also walking more than he's striking out, added 20 home runs and could be in for more positive regression, considering his expected statistics are even higher. 

This production couldn't have been timed more perfectly, with the 25-year-old set to hit free agency after the season. And while most rumors have focused on the possibility that Soto remains in New York, with either the Yankees or the Mets, a new report says the superstar outfielder could be in play for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

READ: Another Move? New York Yankees Star Juan Soto Says He Will Go To Whoever Offers The Most Money

The same Dodgers team that just spent over a billion dollars this offseason on Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernandez. How??

Juan Soto

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 8: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Yankees reacts during the game against the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium on April 8, 2024, in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images)

Dodgers Still May Have Money To Spend On Juan Soto

In a recent column discussing Soto's potential future and free agency options, New York Post writer Jon Heyman suggested the Dodgers are a near certainty to get involved in the bidding.

"Dodgers: They're always a threat, and don't think their $1.4 billion winter spending spree means they are tapped out," Heyman said. "They rarely pass up a chance to at least play for the biggest and best."

So how would this work, considering the Dodgers massive spending spree last offseason, and Soto's sure-to-be massive contract? Believe it or not, it's not as far-fetched as it seems. 

The Dodgers, for all their spending, still have a significant amount of flexibility moving forward. Ohtani's massive deferrals means their out-of-pocket expenses each season are significantly lower than expected. Much of their payroll this season is spent on one year, or short-term deals. More than $100 million this year is going to players who are under team control for just one or two seasons.

Soto, for all his value and youth, isn't going to make $100 million per year. And with one of Major League Baseball's best farm systems, the Dodgers can reasonably hope and expect to fill out their roster with younger, cheaper players in coming seasons.

Just imagine a core group of Soto, Ohtani, Betts and Yamamoto for the next decade. It's tantalizing to dream on for Dodgers fans. And maybe even for the Dodgers front office. After all, it's only money, right?