The Dodgers’ focus is on Juan Soto is currently focused on figuring out how to get the slugger out during the remainder of the World Series, but once the offseason begins, the club could consider adding Soto to its own lineup. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the Dodgers are interested in Soto and will initiate a more full-fledged pursuit “if he’s interested” when he comes to Los Angeles.

As Heyman notes, the Dodgers’ deep pockets have allowed them to at least consult virtually every major free agent in recent years, so it would be unusual if LA didn’t have Soto on its offseason wish list. The Dodgers are also one of the few teams that can reasonably meet Soto’s asking price, which is widely expected to be the most guaranteed money ever given to a baseball player. The ‘advance’ reservation has since been necessary Shohei OhtaniThe $700 million deal has been so heavily delayed that the contract is worth about $437.8 million in cash value, and Soto’s next deal is expected to top the $500 million mark.

According to RosterResource, the Dodgers have already allocated approximately $257.2 million to their 2025 payroll, as well as an estimate of $253.1 million to their luxury tax bill. The latter puts the Dodgers above the tax threshold ($241 million) again for next season, and of course, adding Soto for an average annual value of at least $50 million would put the club over the highest tax penalty of $301 million. Since Los Angeles has already been a tax-paying team for the past four seasons, exceeding the $301 million threshold would more than double the size of the team tax on any excesses above the $241 million threshold.

Of course, the luxury tax clearly hasn’t been a major concern for the Dodgers in their search for top talent. With Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu YamamotoAnd Will Smith signed during the rest of the decade and Freddie Vrijman And Tyler Glasnow both signed through at least 2027, the Dodgers won’t be dipping below the tax line anytime soon, and the financial penalty is offset by the simple fact that the team is a revenue-generating juggernaut.

There are plenty of obvious reasons why Soto himself would have an interest in joining a perennial contender like the Dodgers, though geography is still the lingering question surrounding Soto’s impending free will. While Soto and Padres owner Peter Seidler made some progress in extension talks leading up to Seidler’s death a year ago, Heyman reiterates the long-held belief that Soto would prefer to play on an East Coast team, all things being equal. This could make the Yankees or Mets the favorites to sign him this winter, as the two New York teams could better align with Soto’s preferences for both location and contract.

While the Yankees and Mets alone could spark a nice bidding war, Soto and agent Scott Boras would certainly have a vested interest in keeping other teams in the hunt, be it the Dodgers or other potential suitors like the Giants, Blue Jays or Nationals. If the Dodgers find that Soto’s interest in coming to LA is quite limited, the team could easily turn to some other options on the free agent market.

For example, re-signing Teoscar Hernández would be much cheaper than signing Soto, and Hernandez is already a known quantity in Los Angeles and a major offensive force in his own right. Heyman also thinks the Dodgers will look to add another big-name pitcher to their injury-plagued rotation, even if Ohtani, Glasnow, Clayton Kershawand others are expected to be healthy on opening day.