With five weeks left in the regular season, Juan Soto’s upcoming free agency is already one of the most discussed topics in baseball. As the Yankees outfielder approaches one of the biggest decisions of his career, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has weighed in.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan published an early free agency preview on Tuesday, August 27, and included an intriguing quote from Lindor, who may be trying to recruit Soto across town.
“When it comes to the outfielder from across our borough,” Lindor said, referring to Soto, “he’s having a fantastic year and I hope he goes out there and breaks every record out there when it comes to getting paid. If it’s with us, it’ll be fantastic. He’ll help us a lot.”
Though the Yankees will be, at minimum, a favorite to retain Soto, the Mets should be squarely in the mix as well. Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer pointed out earlier in the year that the Mets may be more willing to cough up the exorbitant price tag that Soto will surely command.
“The heart says Soto will end up remaining with the Yankees. It may be a new relationship, but it just feels so…well, so right. But the head says the Mets,” Rymer wrote back on May 24. “Though both clubs can afford a $500 million deal for Soto, the Mets seem more able to afford it.”
Trying To Project Juan Soto’s Next Contract
There has been no shortage of estimates around how much money Soto will make on his next contract, and even the most astronomical are well within the realm of possibility.
Soto has been an elite player for six years now, making it easy to forget he’s still only 25. This year, the Yankees are paying him $31 million and even that feels like a bargain. Headed into play on August 27, he’s hitting .296 with 37 home runs, a league-best 109 walks, a 184 OPS+ and a 187 wRC+.
Though Spotrac’s projections are far from scientific, the site pegs Soto’s value at $37.9 million per year. It projects him to sign a 14-year deal at that rate, which would add up to more than $530 million.
That far outpaces the 15-year, $440 million deal Soto turned down from the Washington Nationals in 2022.
In June, ESPN polled 28 executives to see how much money they thought Soto would get in free agency. Only three expected him to get less than $400 million, while three others said his contract would top $600 million. The total averages came out to 12.4 years and $498.4 million, with an average annual value of $40.4 million.
The Mets Could Make Soto their Priority
It’s no secret that the Mets are interested in Soto. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman even said earlier this month that people around the league anticipate that the Mets will be the team that presents him with the biggest offer.
Juan Soto’s Top 5 landing spots next season, according to @jonheyman ⬇️
Though the Yankees could theoretically match whatever Steve Cohen wants to offer Soto, there’s no guarantee they will. For one thing, the Yankees have more on the books for next year than the Mets do ($202.4 million in committed salary vs. $141.8 million). Owner Hal Steinbrenner has also said he doesn’t believe the Yankees’ $300 million payroll is sustainable or necessary to field a winning team.
The wild card for the Mets is how this effects their effort to bring Pete Alonso back. Soto is the better player, even Mets fans wouldn‘t argue otherwise. But Alonso is the face of the Mets right now and is one of the most exciting players in the game in his own right. Yes, Cohen can throw money at him and Soto and give the Mets a 1-2 punch almost as scary as Soto and Aaron Judge this year on the Yankees. But how much is he willing to commit to just two players?
The way it’s going now, there’s a good chance Soto will stay in New York after this year. The question is which borough he calls home.
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Francisco Lindor Drops Take on Impending Juan Soto Free Agency