The Dodgers are poised to become the latest club to meet with superstar free agent , per a report from earlier this evening. The meeting between the sides is scheduled for tomorrow. The Dodgers will join the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and Blue Jays in having met with Soto already, although Feinsand also reports that an undisclosed team in addition to that group has already met with Soto as well. The Giants, Phillies, and Rays are among the teams known to have interest in Soto that have not yet had a publicly reported meeting with the star outfielder. That Soto and the Dodgers have a meeting set up is an interesting development given the somewhat regarding the clubs plans regarding the superstar. Previous reports have indicated while L.A. intends to be somewhat involved in Sotos free agency, those reports have also cautioned the club may not be as aggre sive as other suitors. That relatively cautious approach to Soto on the Dodgers part could be at least partially due to questions regarding whether or not Soto, who hails from the Dominican Republic and Fort Lauderdale in Florida, prefers to play on the east coast. Notably, reports this evening that sources close to Soto have downplayed that rumored geographic presence, suggesting that Soto previously enjoyed living on the west coast while he played for the Padres. Its impo sible to know where Jose Azocar Jersey Sotos geographic preferences lie, but Soto has emphasized in comments to reporters that winning is a priority for him, to the point of asking the Red Sox during his meeting with club officials about the organizations commitment to winning. If winning is a priority for Soto, its hard to argue against the Dodgers. The reigning World Series champions have made the postseason in twelve consecutive seasons, and since 2017 have averaged more than 102 wins per year (excluding the 60-game 2020 season where they went 43-17 and won the World Series) while collecting two additional NL pennants in addition to their World Series championships. Last winter, the club added likely , , and to an impre sive core of talent that already included and . Los Angeles figures to remain a juggernaut in the NL for years to come, and the addition of Soto to their already vaunted lineup would only reinforce that. Given his elite talent, any club would be able to find a place for Soto in their lineup. With that being said, its particularly easy to see how Soto would fit into the Dodgers plans. With Mookie Betts to move back into the infield for the 2025 season, the club could look to make multiple additions to an outfield mix that presently includes only utility man and youngster as potential everyday options. Even if the club wanted to reunite with free agent slugger as has been , its easy to imagine the pair manning the corner outfield spots for the Dodgers with Edman as the primary center fielder while Pages backs up the starting trio and fills in for Edman on days he moves to the infield. Financially, as mind-boggling as it may be to imagine the Dodgers inking Soto to a contract worth more than half a billion dollars just one year after committing more than a billion to Ohtani and Yamamoto amid last winters spending spree, the deferred structure of Ohtanis contract could make such an expenditure more reasonable. The clubs payroll for 2025 is currently projected at $276MM, according to . That clocks in $50MM below the clubs 2024 payroll, opening a clear pathway to adding Soto even at a record-setting average annual value. That wouldnt leave much room for much-needed rotation upgrades or further offensive additions such as a reunion with Hernandez, but notes that the value of Ohtanis first season in L.A. blew away the clubs financial projections. Given that reality, its certainly not impo sible to imagine the club having even more payroll space at their disposal than returning to the level that left them with the second-highest payroll in baseball last year. Regardle s of what club Soto ultimately ends up with, Feinsand goes on to report a belief around the league that a decision could be made in the near future. Specifically, Feinsand suggests that while Soto isnt expected to sign prior to Thanksgiving, the feeling around the league is that the 26-year-old could land somewhere prior to the Winter Meetings with one executive suggesting to him that it would be a surprise if he hasnt signed before the end of the Meetings on December 12. With the Winter Meetings just a month away and no team reported to have so much as made a formal offer to Soto yet, its po sible that the winters top free agent could see his market begin to move quickly after the coming holiday. Mark Vientos Jersey