If there was any indication that the New York Mets were not seriously in on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, their actions this week eliminated such thoughts.
The Queens club is pulling out all the stops in hopes of luring the 26-year-old superstar right fielder to their side of the city in free agency after he put up a brilliant debut campaign with the Yankees in 2024, which featured 41 home runs and an AL pennant-clinching round-tripper in the ALCS.
Multiple reports indicate that Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor has joined owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns in Los Angeles to meet with Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, as negotiations begin. A resolution is not expected to come any time soon. Soto said moments after his Yankees were eliminated in Game 5 of the World Series that he would be open to all 30 teams should they come looking for a seat at the negotiating table.
Granted, only a slim number of teams will actually be able to afford him. Soto is expected to get a deal of at least $600 million. Should it get to a bidding war, that number could realistically swell to $750 million, considering the deep pockets possessed by those like Cohen.
The Mets will understandably like their chances. Not only do they have the cash necessary to lure Soto away from the Bronx, but they are positioning themselves for sustained success and World Series contention after making an ahead-of-schedule appearance in the NLCS following Stearns’ first year running the team’s front office.
Many would see signing Soto as a move that puts the Mets among the National League’s elite alongside the Los Angeles Dodgers. This would create a considerable top-of-the-lineup partnership with Lindor, who is expected to finish second in the NL MVP voting this season behind Shohei Ohtani.
The Dodgers are another team expected to be involved in the Soto sweepstakes, along with the Yankees. Both clubs have the long-standing pedigree to create remarkable pitches to the lefty star, but the Mets appear as though they are going to be taking full hacks at bringing in this generational talent.
