Could Dodgers actually land biggest 2025 MLB free agent?

It seems impossible that the Dodgers would be able to add another superstar to their already loaded roster. But even with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto already on the club, they could conceivably make Juan Soto's dream of teaming up with Ohtani come true.

Soto at the MLB All-Star game was asked about which MLB player he'd like to play with that he hasn't had a chance to play with. He quickly said the Dodgers designated hitter would be at the top of his list.

At first glance it feels like something that will remain a pipe dream. The Yankees will likely aim to retain Soto, and New York is one of few teams with the financial flexibility to fit a player like Soto into their payroll. The All-Star slugger figures to net a contract somewhere in the ballpark of $500 million across 12 years.

The Dodgers just shelled out $700 million to land Ohtani, but the deferred payments on his deal dramatically lower Los Angeles' active payroll.

In 2024 LA is sixth in baseball in total payroll. The Yankees are second only behind the Mets.

If we fast forward to 2025, the Yankees remain in the No. 2 spot with $202.4 million in payroll according to Spotrac. They certainly have the space and the resources to retain Soto on a contract worth $40 million or so per year.

However, we can't rule out the Dodgers given their penchant for landing the biggest names in free agency. For starters, Soto fills a need in an outfield where Teoscar Hernandez and Jason Heyward are slated to hit free agency next offseason.

But need matters less than the financials here, and thanks to Ohtani's deferments and a few contracts coming off the books, LA is only at $162.16 million in payroll for next season -- the eighth-highest mark in baseball.

Perhaps LA wants to utilize its resources elsewhere. They might also want to save some money depending on how this season wraps up. They could extend Hernandez and lean more on internal options like Andy Pages, Miguel Vargas and James Outman to fill out their outfield and avoid adding another massive contract to their books.

If the Dodgers want to chase Soto and make him a sizable offer (while also leaning on Ohtani to help the recruiting efforts), they can. We've seen them close these deals plenty of times so it certainly can't be ruled out that LA will aim to pair Soto with the player he most wants to play with for the foreseeable future.