PHOENIX (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers He spent big in the final season before going big this postseason, taking home the World Series title after spending more than $1 billion on players like the following. Shohei OhtaniYoshinobu Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernández.

Now it’s time to see which teams are in the mood to open their wallets to free agents in preparation for the 2025 season.

Ohtani sweepstakes dominated last year’s offseason conversation until the Japanese superstar signed an eye-popping $700 million, 10-year deal last December. apologetically Juan SotoEven if this year’s class is claimed to be deeper, there may not be anyone earning that much salary in the coming months.

Soto, Willy Adames, Corbin Burnes, Maximum Fried, Blake Snell, Alex Bregman And Jack Flaherty He is among the top players looking for a new team. After that, there is another tier of attractive players like the Hernández we mentioned earlier. Anthony Santander, Jurickson Profar, Ha Seong Kim, Pete Alonso, Christian Walker And Sean Manaea He is a person who can provide great support for teams fighting for the championship.

MLB’s general managers will meet this week in San Antonio, Texas, for the unofficial kickoff of the offseason. These talks, held in early November, usually don’t make many moves, but they often lay the groundwork for future agreements.

Here are some things to watch when MLB free agency opens this week:

Soto shined as a Yankee, but don’t expect a discount in New York

This lesson may be profound, but there is no doubt that Soto is the No. 1 prize. The four-time All-Star already has 201 career homers, has a career .421 on-base percentage, and has helped lead the way. New York Yankees They advanced to the World Series before losing in five games to the Dodgers.

Also, he is only 26 years old.

Yankees want to keep Soto on team Aaron Judge They will be a formidable duo for the Bronx Bombers. However, it is not yet clear how much team owner Hal Steinbrenner wants to spend on a player who can sign a contract worth around $500 million.

Soto hasn’t tipped his hand after a disappointing debut at New York’s Fall Classics, but he doesn’t seem willing to sign for a cut.

“I will be available for all 30 teams,” Soto said. “I don’t want to say anyone 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.”

More Big Apple decisions brewing for the Mets

One of the most interesting teams to watch in the coming months is New York Metswho overcame a slow start to advance all the way to the NL Championship Series before losing to the Dodgers.

Alonso has been a big part of the Mets’ lineup, hitting 226 homers over the last six seasons. Manaea, Luis Severino and José Quintana are also on the market because they are important parts of the pitching rotation.

Now the franchise must decide whether to keep them, rebuild them, or do a mix of both. There’s a lot of pressure on the team to improve, especially since the crosstown Yankees don’t look like they’ll stop winning anytime soon.

Charming veterans seek late-career resurgence

It will be fascinating to see what happens to the veterans Paul Goldschmidt, Walker Buehler, Shane Bieber And Carlos Santana. These are guys who have miles (and surgeries) on their bodies, but have been in the big leagues for a long time.

Goldschmidt named 2022 NL MVP St.Louis Cardinalshowever, his offensive production has declined over the past few years. Still, he’s a first baseman who’s good in the clubhouse and keeps his body in great shape.

Buehler is back from his second Tommy John surgery this season. There have been many ups and downs, although his excellent performance in the World Series is reason to believe he has a lot left in him. He pitched six scoreless innings against the Yankees; this included a scoreless ninth inning to clinch the series in Game 5.

Super Agent Scott Boras will make his presence felt again

Baseball super manager Scott Boras has long been considered one of the best in the business, even if last year’s offseason wasn’t among his best.

Many of its customers, including Snell, matt chapman, Jordan Montgomery And Cody Bellinger — didn’t sign until spring training, but also couldn’t command the high-dollar, long-term deals they were looking for. Instead, most signed short-term deals.

Boras will be a major factor again this summer, representing many of the key free agents like Soto, Burnes, Alonso, Snell and Bregman.

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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