Dodgers spent big before winning big. The 2025 class might be even deeper

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

He’s also just 26 years old.

The Yankees would love to keep Soto, who teamed with Aaron Judge to become a formidable pair for the Bronx Bombers. But it’s unclear how much owner Hal Steinbrenner is willing to spend on a player who could command a contract in the range of $500 million.

[Read more: With flaws exposed in World Series, Yankees face offseason of change]

Soto didn’t tip his hand after New York’s disappointing exit in the Fall Classic, but it doesn’t sound like he’s willing to sign for a discount.

“I’m going to be available for all 30 teams,” Soto said. “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.”

More Big Apple decisions brewing for the Mets

One of the more intriguing teams to watch over the coming months is the New York Mets, who 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 for the past six seasons, hitting 226 homers. Manaea, Luis Severino and José Quintana are also on the market after all were important pieces of the pitching rotation.

Now the franchise must decide whether to keep them, build anew, or do a mixture of both. There’s a lot of pressure on the team to improve, especially because it doesn’t seem like the crosstown Yankees are going to stop winning anytime soon.

Fascinating veterans look for late-career resurgence

It’ll be fascinating to see what happens with veterans like Paul Goldschmidt, Walker Buehler, Shane Bieber and Carlos Santana. These are guys who have some miles (and surgeries) on their bodies, but have been great big leaguers for a long time.

Goldschmidt was the 2022 NL MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals, but his offensive production took a dive over the past few years. Still, he’s a first baseman that’s good in the clubhouse and keeps his body in excellent shape.

Buehler came back from his second Tommy John surgery this season. There were several ups and downs, though his sterling performance in the World Series is reason to believe he has plenty left. He threw six scoreless innings against the Yankees, including a scoreless ninth, to clinch the series in Game 5.

Superagent Scott Boras will make his presence felt again

Baseball superagent Scott Boras has long been considered one of the best in the business, although last year’s offseason wasn’t among his finest.

Several of his clients — including Snell, Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery and Cody Bellinger — didn’t sign until spring training, yet didn’t command the high-dollar, long-term deals they were seeking. Instead, most ended up signing short-term deals.

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

Reporting by The Associated Press.