Juan Soto, the star outfielder for the New York Yankees, is set to become a free agent, and the New York Mets are among the teams reportedly eyeing him as a potential target. This move would significantly impact the Yankees, with one executive expressing concern about Soto potentially moving from the Yankees to the Mets, describing it as “a buzzkill.”
The 26-year-old Soto is a four-time All-Star, having led the American League with 128 runs, in addition to hitting 41 home runs, driving in 109 runs, and posting a .989 OPS during the season. He has also excelled in the playoffs, playing a key role in the Yankees’ success when he hit a three-run homer in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, helping them secure a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians and clinching their first AL pennant in 15 years.
Soto joined the Yankees last offseason in a major trade with the San Diego Padres. Given his impressive performance throughout the season and playoffs, he is likely to command one of the largest contracts in MLB history, potentially reaching $600 million, as reported by Jon Heyman. This amount, if accurate, would only be surpassed by Shohei Ohtani’s record-setting $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mets owner Steve Cohen has demonstrated a willingness to spend significant amounts of money in his time with the team, having led MLB’s payroll rankings for the past two seasons. However, there are questions around whether the Yankees can compete financially with the Mets in a bidding war for Soto. Heyman suggests that while the Yankees aim to reduce their payroll, they would still want to retain a talent like Soto.
As the offseason unfolds, it remains to be seen how aggressively the Mets will pursue Soto. Other teams, including the San Francisco Giants and potentially the Washington Nationals—Soto’s former team—are also in the mix for his services. Soto previously declined a 15-year, $440 million contract from the Nationals, a decision that appears to have set him up for a much more lucrative deal this offseason.