Where do Yankees, Red Sox go from here?

The Juan Soto sweepstakes have come to a conclusion. First reported by the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the 26-year-old slugger signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets Sunday night. Not only is Soto's new contract the richest in MLB history, it is the richest in sports history, in terms of total money. Soto chose the Mets over his former team, the New York Yankees, who had reportedly offered a 16-year, $760 million contract, according to Heyman.

Other teams that were in on Soto include the Boston Red Sox, who offered a 15-year, $700 million contract according to MassLive's Sean McAdam, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, whose offers have yet to be revealed publicly.

BREAKING: Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest deal in professional sports history.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 9, 2024

So where do the teams that missed out on Soto go now? Starting pitchers should be the next dominoes that fall. Max Fried, Corbin Burnes, Jack Flaherty and Sean Manaea all currently don't have a home for the 2025 season, and will get the most attention from the top teams in the league willing to spend.

The Yankees and Red Sox have both been reportedly in on Fried and Burnes, and have had meetings with both starting pitchers in the past couple of days. The Yankees could use Fried or Burnes to bolster their starting rotation, while if the Red Sox sign one of these pitchers, he would immediately become the team's ace.

Outside of pitching, both teams are reportedly in on outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who has previously said that he'd like to return to the Dodgers. A big contract from either New York or Boston could lure him away from sunny Los Angeles, though. Other free agents that the Yankees and Red Sox could talk to in the coming days and weeks include Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, Anthony Santander, Jurickson Profar and Paul Goldschmidt.

There are also intriguing trade candidates like Nolan Arenado, Garrett Crochet and Luis Castillo. Trading for any of those players could mean parting with a coveted prospect, however. After missing out on a long-term deal for Soto, both the Red Sox and Yankees will have to pivot quickly, and with the Winter Meetings beginning Sunday, expect deals to come flying in this week.