List of rumored Juan Soto suitors packed with Yankees rivals (and 1 wild curveball)

Is Juan Soto, the prince of free agency, going to return to the New York Yankees? If they pony up the money, they'll have as good a chance as anyone.

Unfortunately, it would seem that "the money" now refers to "literally $700 million." That shouldn't be a dealbreaker for Hal Steinbrenner — Soto's going to get it — but it's certainly a large enough cash pile that turning ghost white and falling over would be reasonable.

According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, with the bidding now officially open after the expiration of Monday's deadline, the Yankees' competition now includes the known suitors (Mets, Dodgers), the suspected check-ins (Red Sox, Blue Jays, eternal second-place Giants), and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Wait, what? Are the Rays sure they called the right number? This is Scott Boras, not Scott's Turf Builder.

Yankees free agent target Juan Soto chased by entire AL East except for Orioles (yes, the Rays called)

Imagine how much easier our lives would be if the Rays had just successfully courted Freddie Freeman when they'd tried to? Or maybe they'd be harder in an entirely different way. Who can say?

The Rays are unlikely to be able to get a Soto deal across the finish line for numerous reasons, but they do possess the winning culture that the 26-year-old slugger covets. If they can somehow find room in their budget to absorb Soto's massive deal, there may be no team in all of MLB that can be trusted to continually reload around him at reasonable prices. That's certainly appealing. It should also serve as a ringing endorsement to the rest of MLB that splurging on Soto is worthwhile, despite his defensive deficiencies. If the Rays aren't worried, then no one else should be, either.

Still, though, Tampa Bay checking in sounds laughable at first blush for good reason. The largest contract they've ever signed in free agency is Zach Eflin's $40 million. Their franchise's largest-ever deal of any kind was given to someone who should not be named. Their franchise's immediate future is in flux; as they wait for a new stadium in 2028, they're currently in the market for temporary venues due to the damage Tropicana Field sustained in Hurricane Milton.

Given the stakes at play here, it's highly likely Soto chooses a different offer. Unfortunately for the Yankees, all the destinations other than "home in the Bronx" seem equally unappealing.