At this point, it just seems like everybody and their grandma wants Juan Soto. The Dominican seemed to have seven interested suitors, with the New York Mets and the Yankees, at the forefront. But we have other names, like the Blue Jays and also the Giants, who seem to want to clinch Juan Soto. Why not? He is one of the finest hitters, just turned 26, and has prime years of play still left, not to mention he went to the World Series more than some players have in their lifetime at the sport.

However, clinching the 26-year-old is not in everybody’s fate. Firstly, because the San Francisco Giants are not yet a championship-winning team. One of the major criteria as cited by Soto, plus the most important reason—budget! Soto, if whispers are true, will go for a whopping $600 million contract or more. And not many, like the Mets, have such big pockets to spend on just one player—at least not the Giants. Moreover, Buster Posey is off to a rather rough start as the Giant’s president. He has to face budget cuts and make some big moves this season. Though fans were hopeful for the team to bring in some marquee players, it seems like the Giants have to be frugal, not just with Juan Soto but with other transfers as well.

San Francisco Giants face payroll pinch

It is safe to say that Buster Posey’s campaign as Giants President hasn’t started on the best of notes. Last season, the Giants had a spending limit of $206 million, but according to sources, the Giants need to limit themselves to just $30-$40 million this time around. This is especially after the 80-82 finish, which left them over the luxury tax limit for the first time since 2018. But why are the Giants cutting back?

Well, they ranked eighth in payroll last season, and they bumped up the attendance, but with that, they are also dealing with internal issues. For the unversed, they have operational losses from the prior off-season moves that didn’t pan out. And one needs to look no further than the expensive contracts they have for players like Jorge Soler and Blake Snell. Meanwhile, the attendance gains were just mostly discounted tickets, so the actual revenue was still nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, the Giants are also covering the costs relating to their 25-year contract with NBC Sports Bay Area. This has ownership stakes, yet it doesn’t bring cash immediately. Still, San Francisco Giants Chairman Greg Johnson hinted that they’re committed to building a competitive team. We will spend what we need to put a winning team on the field.” Greg Johnson mentioned as reported by The Athletic. “Never have a set budget, just a fairly wide range. The end number depends on plenty of movement between trades and free agents.

He added the team is all about balancing short-term goals with long-term needs, and spending carefully where needed. Well, guess Juan Soto won’t be with the Giants, but another team is coming in guns blazing!

With the Giants out, the Blue Jays have their doors open for Juan Soto

As per the Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, the Giants are already out in the bid for Juan Soto owing to their prevalent payroll issues. This is great news for many, like the Toronto Blue Jays, as it keeps the door open for them. They missed Shohei Ohtani last year; they don’t want to miss their chance this year. The most important aspect is that the Jays have the money to spend. Plus, they have key players who are about to enter their final year, like Bo Bichette, so the pressure is on. Given the financial stability and the demanding fan base, this season just seems like a golden opportunity to build a formidable team.

In fact, Bob Nightengale from USA Today had predicted that the Blue Jays would offer a 14 year, $630 million deal to Juan Soto. “The Blue Jays still have $700 million burning a hole in their wallet, and after Yankees refuse to budge from their original offer, the Blue Jays swoop in and get their man for $630 million over 14 years,” Nightengale said. This is primarily because Soto is already seen as a future Hall of Famer with a World Series ring to his name. But it is questionable because, as Scott Boras revealed, Soto is looking for money + a championship-winning team. So are they ready?

If you have to take a guess, where do you see Juan Soto going next? Let us know in the comments.