THE Texas Rangers spent big on three free agents recently – shortstop Corey Seagersecond baseman Marcus Semien and pitcher Jacob of Grom.

Would Texas blow its budget by a quarter? It’s unlikely, but an MLB insider Athletics don’t rule it out.

Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden recently ranked the top 45 free agents this offseason and, as one might expect, the New York Yankees outfielder. Juan Soto was ranked #1.

Bowden believes that because of Soto’s age and ability, he could become the second highest-paid player in MLB history behind Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who signed a $700 contract. million dollars last offseason. He suggests Soto could command a 15-year contract that would be between $550 million and $650 million.

He thinks most of the big teams in the market will be interested, including the Yankees and their rivals the New York Mets. None of these franchises are shy about spending money. He considered those two teams to be the best choices for Soto, along with the Toronto Blue Jays. All three teams were on Ohtani last year before he signed with the Dodgers.

The Rangers fall into the “other teams could emerge” category, along with the Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals.

It’s hard to imagine the Rangers spending big money on Soto, especially if team owner Ray Davis is focused on getting the team under the luxury tax threshold, as The Dallas Morning News reported.

The first level of spending for the luxury tax is $241 million. Seager enters the fourth year of a 10-year, $325 million deal, Semien enters the fourth year of a seven-year, $175 million deal and deGrom enters the third year of a 185-year deal million dollars over five years.

The Rangers also don’t know what their TV situation is. They know that they will not partner with Bally Sports and its parent company, Diamond Sports Group, in 2025, as MLB announced earlier this month. The Rangers would attempt to create their own television network but could also rely on MLB to help them distribute their games.

Regardless, the halcyon days of the old Bally deal, which reportedly cost more than $100 million a year in tariffs before DSG’s bankruptcy, are over.

This fact alone may make any pursuit of Soto untenable.