Report: Bad News for Yankees as Juan Soto Lands Free Agency
As the Yankees aim to finish 2024 strong and prepare for a potential World Series run, they have plenty to worry about. Addressing the future of the team’s numerous free agents is not a luxury they can afford at the moment, especially with the lineup and starting rotation needing to get in order.
However, once the Yankees’ season concludes, the most pressing issue in MLB will be the future of Juan Soto, the star outfielder the Yankees traded for from San Diego last winter. The Yankees will face immense pressure to retain him.
Competition for Soto will be fierce, with the crosstown rival Mets being a primary contender. The Mets have long been interested in Soto and even attempted to trade for him when he was with Washington.
Bleacher Report analyst Tyler Ward predicts that the Yankees will ultimately be outbid by the Mets. As Ward stated, “Juan Soto is going to be a New York Metropolitan.”
Juan Soto Has Been Stellar This Season
Soto has been dynamic this season for the Yankees, hitting .310 with 28 home runs and a career-high OPS of 1.035. He has fit well into the clubhouse, providing a jolt of enthusiasm after last season’s moribund performance from the Yankees.
Losing Soto would be a significant blow for the Yankees, but the Mets could be ready to outbid the Bombers this winter. It won’t be cheap—in an ESPN poll of MLB executives in June, half projected Soto to get between $500-$600 million.
“If you don’t think that the Mets are going to be unbelievably, heavily involved in that market, I’ve got a bridge to sell you,” Ward said. “Juan Soto has been a target of the Mets going back to his time with the Washington Nationals. The Mets offered a package including some of their key young assets, but Mike Rizzo of the Nationals said no. Soto thrives at Citi Field, he loves New York, and we’re seeing it with the Bronx Bombers right now.
“Unless the Yankees win it all this season, I don’t believe that [Yankees owner Hal] Steinbrenner will go to the length or the dollars that Steve Cohen will.”
Yankees Could Be Outbid by the Mets
Rumors about Soto and the Mets have been circulating since the spring, especially after it became clear that Soto would not sign a contract extension with the Yankees and would hit free agency. The Yankees gave up a strong package to acquire Soto, along with Trent Grisham, sending Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Michael King, Drew Thorpe, and Randy Vásquez to the Padres.
Losing Soto with nothing in return would be painful.
Back in March, Jon Heyman of the New York Post raised the possibility of the Mets landing Soto. He wrote, “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.)”
The rumors have persisted. Soto seems to have enjoyed his time with the Yankees, suggesting they might have an advantage in retaining him. But the question remains: will they pay as much as the Mets?