November 4, 2024

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Good morning. The Juan Soto free agency saga is heating up as teams rush to make their pitch for the MLB superstar, and his deal will likely alter baseball’s financial landscape. As the clock ticks down to his signing window, we explore what his decision could mean for the league.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Juan Soto Sweepstakes Underway: Superstar’s Deal Could Reshape MLB [[link removed]]

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The Juan Soto free-agency derby is officially underway, and his decision is set to have major ramifications across the sport.

Soto’s impending free agency has been highly anticipated all year, becoming a major storyline during both the All-Star Game [[link removed]] and the World Series [[link removed]]. The moment has now arrived, and the 26-year-old Soto began receiving calls from nearly a dozen teams within hours of the Dodgers completing a five-game World Series win [[link removed]] over Soto’s Yankees.

With a deal almost certain to exceed $600 million, Soto is now in line to reap the second-largest player contract in U.S. pro team sports history, trailing only the 10-year, $700 million agreement between the Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani [[link removed]]. Depending on the level of deferrals [[link removed]] involved, Soto could smash Ohtani’s contract in present-day value.

Soto, like all other MLB free-agent players, will be eligible to sign with a new team beginning Monday at 5 p.m. ET.

“I’m going to be available for all 30 teams,” Soto said after the Dodgers clinched their World Series win. “I don’t want to say anybody has any advantage because at the end of the day, we’re going to look at what they have and how much they want me.”

Soto is represented by baseball mega-agent Scott Boras, long known for working with many of baseball’s biggest stars and commanding top-dollar deals. But Soto’s youth—he just turned 26—and his Hall of Fame-caliber trajectory on the field make him a particularly unique free agent, even among other stars to hit the market recently such as Ohtani.

Limited Suitors

Despite Soto’s comments, and the fact that several teams have conveyed their initial interest, only a select few actually have the financial ability to take on a contract of this size. That group includes the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets, and perhaps a few others such as the Phillies, Cubs, and Blue Jays.

All of these clubs have ownership stakes in their regional sports networks and have been comparatively insulated from the ongoing turbulence in that part of the television industry. None of those teams are connected to the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy, either.

Ripple Effect?

Soto has frequently spoken well of his one year in pinstripes, a season that brought the Yankees their first World Series berth in 15 years. But some of that consideration could rest on what the team does with ace pitcher Gerrit Cole, who opted out of the final four seasons and $144 million on his existing contract with New York.

The Yankees can eliminate that opt-out by adding on a fifth year and $36 million to Cole’s deal by Monday at 5 p.m., when full free agency opens. Keeping Cole, last year’s American League Cy Young Award winner, would help convey a continued commitment to winning, something Soto has said is important to him.

Early Look at 2025 MLB Payrolls

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Above, we’ve illustrated the current MLB club player payroll commitments for the 2025 season. The numbers will change significantly in the coming weeks and months, not only due to free agency but also later decisions around matters such as salary arbitration for eligible players. The pre-existing commitments, however, give some sense of club flexibility heading into the hot-stove season, particularly given that the 2025 threshold for MLB’s competitive balance tax [[link removed]], commonly known as the luxury tax, is $241 million. That threshold has acted as something of a soft salary cap in recent years for some MLB clubs, though a handful of others willingly pay the tax.

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Embiid’s Clash With Reporter Sparks NBA Probe, Concerns for Sixers [[link removed]]

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The long-festering situation surrounding the 76ers and star center Joel Embiid has turned explosive as the former NBA Most Valuable Player angrily shoved a Philadelphia newspaper columnist Saturday night, bringing new attention to his load-management issues.

Embiid confronted Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes after the 76ers’ 124-107 home loss to the Grizzlies, and then struck and shoved the writer [[link removed]]. Hayes, like several others in the media, has questioned Embiid’s effort as he has not played in any of the 76ers’ five games to date—four of them losses. Hayes additionally invoked the player’s late brother and his young son, both named Arthur, in that criticism, angering Embiid.

“The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you are going to see what I’m going to do to you, and I’m going to have to … live with the consequences,” Embiid said to Hayes.

Soon after, the NBA said it was initiating an investigation into the incident.

The Issue Amplifies

The scrutiny around Embiid is heightening as questions have continued to fester around his actual physical condition as he rehabilitates his left knee and how it intersects with NBA load-management rules. Already, the NBA has fined the 76ers $100,000 [[link removed]] as it seeks to have its top players on the court as much as possible.

But prior to the locker-room incident, Embiid said his prior physical sacrifices were being overlooked.

“I’ve broken my face twice, [and] I came back early with the risk of losing my vision,” he said Friday, when he was a full practice participant. “I have broken fingers. I still came back. When I see people say, ‘He doesn’t want to play,’ I’ve done way too much for this city, putting myself at risk, for people to be saying that.”

The NBA unveiled a set of new policies ahead of last season as a way to combat load management and give players incentive to not sit out games. The policy ties a minimum number of games played to players being eligible for regular-season awards such as MVP and All-NBA, which come with big financial bonuses.

Negative Impact on New Arena?

The 76ers, meanwhile, are taking on this new dose of negative publicity precisely at a delicate time as they attempt to get a new $1.55 billion arena approved [[link removed]] by the Philadelphia City Council.

The project is set to be privately financed, but the deal to build on city-owned land still requires a series of agreements, and getting those is far from assured as opposition to the downtown arena proposal remains fierce in the local Asian American community.

The council last week passed a pair of largely procedural resolutions related to the proposed arena, but the core issue will be taken up over the next six weeks.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY MLB Offseason’s Strange Start

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A top international MLB prospect had his offer from the Padres rescinded after an investigation revealed he was five years older than his paperwork indicated. Plus, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole opted out, throwing another potential wrench into an already pivotal offseason for the pinstripes. Front Office Sports newsletter writer Eric Fisher joins with the latest in MLB.

Also, Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu joins the show to discuss the team’s unexpected early success, Adam Silver wants an NBA team in Mexico City, and a top SEC program unveils a stunning new facility.

Watch, listen, and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

LOUD AND CLEAR Reese’s Response

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“W.”

—Chicago Sky star Angel Reese’s succinct response on X [[link removed]] to the team’s hiring of former Las Vegas Aces assistant Tyler Marsh as its new head coach, but a comment that still spoke volumes. Reese had a close relationship with Teresa Weatherspoon [[link removed]], who was recently fired in a frenetic run of WNBA coaching changes [[link removed]] that has rocked the league. But Reese’s public approval of the coaching move prompted some angry back-and-forth with other Aces players. Guard Sydney Colson wrote [[link removed]], “Excuse me?! We’re grieving, have some [expletive emoji] respect!” Reese, however, responded by saying [[link removed]], “Sorry, but your time is UP. It’s our turn! I’ll send you some tissue, tho, sister girl unless you want to come join this side, too.”

ONE BIG FIG Major Marathon Money

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$100,000

Prize money for each of the men’s and women’s top finishers in the open division of the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon, held Sunday. Those amounts were claimed by Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, breaking up typical African domination of the men’s division, and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya. The figures are tied for the second highest of the world’s six major marathons, trailing only the $150,000 top payout in Boston. More than 50,000 runners from 150 countries participated in the marathon, staged in crisp, sunny, and almost idyllic conditions. But the hillier nature of the New York course prevents this race from ever being a site for world records in the sport.

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Join us Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. ET for Future of Sports: Mergers & Acquisitions [[link removed]], presented by ReadyRefresh, to explore the future implications for teams, leagues, schools, and athletes.

In this virtual summit, industry leaders will share insights on the growing trend of team acquisitions, the impact of foreign investments on valuations, the role of mergers and acquisitions in reshaping the live sports media landscape, and behind-the-scenes details of the acquisition process.

Register now [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters As Election Day approaches, several major sports team owners have made significant donations to political candidates, with Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson contributing $100 million to a Donald Trump PAC. Here’s a detailed list [[link removed]] of NFL, NBA, and MLB owners and their political donations. Georgia unveiled its new $38.5 million softball training facility, which features a locker room, weight room, player lounge, nutrition kitchen, full indoor turf field, hydro recovery pools, and a four-lane batting cage. Check it out [[link removed]]. Saturday’s Ohio State-Penn State game set a Beaver Stadium record [[link removed]] with 111,030 fans in attendance—the largest crowd in its history. Editors’ Picks Something New in College Football This Year: Parity [[link removed]]by Daniel Roberts [[link removed]]Upsets, surprises. CFB is more fun on the field than the NFL. Brooks Running Is Having Its Best Year Ever as Category Has ‘Never Been This Healthy’ [[link removed]]by Lisa Scherzer [[link removed]]Brooks opened its first store in Shanghai as it pushes into China. Mission Swing State: College Football’s Political Advertising Battle [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]Trump, Harris, and the PACs that support them are utilizing the sport. Question of the Day

Where will Juan Soto ultimately decide to sign?

Yankees [[link removed]] Dodgers [[link removed]] Mets [[link removed]] Other [[link removed]]

Friday’s result: Respondents were fairly split on how they felt about Pat McAfee since he joined College GameDay: 38% said they enjoy the show more. 34% said they enjoy the show less. And 28% said they enjoy the show the same amount.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

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