Juan Soto is the top free agent available in baseball and one prediction has him leaving the New York Yankees.
Soto has several teams interested in him, which should drive up his price. Erik Beatson of Bleacher Report believes that will lead Soto to sign a ‘historic’ deal with the New York Mets.
“The Mets remain the favorite to sign Juan Soto in free agency, with the expectation being that no team can outbid them and that the Yankees have a number in mind that they will not go beyond…,” Beaston wrote. “The NLCS runners-up have been linked to Soto since before the end of the season, and it is not particularly surprising as to why. The 26-year-old is a generational hitter coming off the best season of his career. He hit 41 home runs and had career highs in hits (166) and runs (128).
“Adding his bat to a lineup that includes NL MVP candidate Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and, potentially, Pete Alonso would make a great Mets team from 2024 even better,” Beatson added. “Even if the team cannot bring Alonso back, it would still immediately stand out as one of the favorites to emerge from the National League and compete for a World Series. As for where Soto ends up, it appears to be becoming less and less dramatic. Soto signs a historic deal with the Mets.”
What the historic deal would be is uncertain. But, it’s likely that it could reach $700 million or break Shohei Ohtani’s AAV record.
Regardless, Beaston is confident Soto will be leaving the Yankees and signing with their rival the Mets.
Mets Considered Favorites to Sign Soto
The Mets are one of the teams that have shown interest in Soto and are a likely scenario for the star outfielder.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on November 25 that the Mets are considered the favorites, based on the conversations he’s had.
“The Mets are the clear-cut favorite, executives say, simply because they don’t believe there’s a soul who will outbid owner Steve Cohen, while Yankees have a price in mind that they don’t want to exceed,” Nightengale reported.
With Cohen’s deep pockets, the Mets are expected to outbid every team to try and land Soto.
Yankees Owner Admits He’s Worried About The Mets
The Soto sweepstakes will likely come down to the Yankees and Mets.
Following New York’s meeting with Soto, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner admitted he was worried about Cohen and the Mets outbidding everyone.
“I could say that about a couple other owners too,” Steinbrenner said about Cohen and his spending. “Or corporations, for that matter, that represent the ownership group. So, I mean, of course it’s a concern.”
However, Steinbrenner says the hope is the Yankees will be able to re-sign Soto.
“Our fans really enjoyed having him in New York,” Steinbrenner said. “He’s definitely a significant part of why we got to the World Series. I’ve got ears. I know what’s expected of me. So, look, it’s been a priority. We wouldn’t have gone out to the West Coast if it wasn’t.”
Soto is a four-time All-Star.
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Juan Soto Predicted to Leave Yankees And Sign ‘A Historic Deal’