Juan Soto began his Yankees tenure with a bang — 10 at-bats in, he had a .500/.750/1.800/2.550 slash line — and folks are figuring it will be a very long New York career.
But will it be with the Yankees or Mets?
Sure, the Yankees have the distinct advantage of having his undivided attention for most of 2024 to sell him on life in pinstripes. However, folks around the game are suggesting that after a year on practical free-agent hiatus, Steve Cohen’s Mets may become the biggest competitor for Soto’s services. (I first wrote about this possibility Dec. 7, and whispers are getting louder, so it’s worth repeating.)
Here’s why the Mets may become the Yankees’ greatest challenge in the Soto chase:
1. Cohen and the Mets are expected to be back in spending mode next winter, as he told Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and us.
2. Scherzer’s $43.3 million salary comes off the books, and so does Verlander’s $43.3 million (though Verlander could still cost the Mets $17.5 million of his $35 million vesting option if he hits 140 innings). That’s a lot of loot, maybe even for Cohen.
3. Folks say Mets baseball president David Stearns prefers free agents 28 and younger, and Soto is 25.
4. I believe Cohen truly wants to win, but he may want to win just a bit more in the fifth year of his tenure after saying at the start he hoped to win a World Series within the first five years.
5. Though Cohen didn’t pursue homegrown Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, Soto just got fitted in pinstripes.
The most likely scenario still probably has Soto staying in The Bronx, but second-most likely might have him moving to Queens.
Those aren’t the only two possibilities, of course. The Angels may realize they messed up not accepting Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million very decent proposal. The Red Sox may get back in the game. Or maybe the Cubs transform into the big spenders they could be.
Of course, the possibilities are somewhat limited since Soto could garner a $500 million deal, or more. He’s already turned down $440 million from the Nationals without seeming regret, as the 15-year term made that a $29.3 million AAV (average salary), which he considered light.
