Soto should sign with Dodgers

The Dodgers have money, championship ambitions and quality of life for Juan Soto to sign with them rather than waste his time and talent with the Yankees.

Juan Soto had a birds-eye view of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrating as World Series champions on Wednesday night from the Yankees dugout at Yankee Stadium.

It’s doubtful he envisioned celebrating with the Dodgers next year at the time. But no one could blame him if he did.

As you are well aware, Soto will be a free agent, and according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees star is eyeing a historic $700 million contract.

The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs are the candidates to get him since they can afford to pay Soto what he wants.

There’s no doubt he will get what he wants. Here’s the question: What team will he play for?

I am not Scott Boras (Soto's agent) or Soto, but if it was up to me to decide for Soto, it would be to play for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers are a well-oiled machine. They boast a great offense, and they have pitchers who can pitch. There’s a reason they are the World Champions. Why wouldn’t Soto want to play for them?

Imagine being in a lineup stacked with players such as Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, Max Muncy and Kiki Hernandez. Imagine not feeling the pressure felt from having to be the guy like he was with the Yankees.

The Dodgers can be a dynasty for the next few years. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of it? They have the farm system to produce players, and you know they will make seasonal acquisitions to make them even better every year since they have the financial resources that teams dream of.

Outside of the San Diego Padres, no one is a threat to the Dodgers when it comes to usurping their championship chances. Certainly not the Yankees, despite what the local media wants you to believe.

If winning is not enough for him to play in Los Angeles, Soto has plenty more reasons to make this decision.

There’s not as much media attention over there like Soto experienced in New York. The LA media don’t make games a referendum for a player and his team. The regular-season games don’t matter much for them. Plus, most TV stations and newspapers don’t attend all of the Dodgers' home games.

Soto doesn’t even have to talk to the media over there, as he would be required to do if he played for the Yankees or Mets. The Dodgers would shelter him from doing those activities, so it should be an incentive for him to sign with them. This is one reason players have been more than happy to play for the Dodgers.

Players know the job is hard enough as it is. The last thing they want to do is talk to the media and account themselves when things go right or wrong. This is an advantage the Dodgers have over other big-market teams when it comes to signing players.

The Dodgers fans don’t have the passion for baseball that Yankees and Mets fans have. Here, we treat baseball as life and death, which is not the case in Los Angeles. Dodgers fans come to the games just to have a good time. It’s a social event for them.

Who wouldn’t want to play for a fanbase like that?

Los Angeles provides a relaxed environment for players to do well. The fans and the media leave them alone, which would not be the case here. It’s a no-brainer for Soto to take his talent there rather than waste it in New York.

Oh, and the weather there is much better than it would be here for Soto.

Soto’s not from here, and he never grew up a Yankee. He was a mercenary who did his job for them for a year. He has zero obligation to be a Yankee. The Yankees received what they wanted out of him, and he received what he wanted out of them. It’s a business for both sides.

Soto doesn’t owe the Yankees anything, despite what Michael Kay, Suzyn Waldman and Yankees fans suggested the other day.

He owes it to himself to be happy.

Los Angeles is the place to be for him and his family. What’s not to like about the city outside of the traffic and the highways?

If Soto signs with the Yankees, it’s because he wants to be the guy who ends their 15-year championship drought, and he likes the pressure and limelight that come with playing in the city.

If he wants to win and enjoy quality of life, Los Angeles is the place to be.

Only he knows what he wants when money is equal between the Dodgers and Yankees.