MLB rumors: Juan Soto sweepstakes gets massive Yankees, Mets update
It's no surprise that superstar Juan Soto's free agency was a topic of discussion during the MLB General Manager Meetings in San Antonio. The 26-year-old's services could be available to anyone for the right price, but the Big Apple teams are the clear frontrunners.
The New York Mets and New York Yankees are viewed around the league as the best destinations for Soto, via Yahoo Sports' Russell Dorsey.
"Industry sources tell Yahoo Sports that the expectation around the league is that the 26-year-old superstar will likely stay in New York, either re-signing with the Yankees or joining the Mets in Queens," Dorsey reported. "While some see the Yankees as having the inside track on Soto's services after their trip to the World Series, the bigger appeal of the Yankees lies in their ability to pair Soto with Aaron Judge for the rest of Judge's career."
Soto's agent Scott Boras reiterated that while the former World Series champion had a ball with the Yankees this past season, he's now focused on testing the market.
"We certainly have a lot of interest, and it's a very fun time for Juan," Scott Boras, said Wednesday. "Playing in New York was comfortable. He really, really enjoyed his teammates, the Yankee experience. Juan loves winning...Juan Soto wants ownership that he knows is going to support an opportunity to win annually."
While staying with Judge and the Yankees is an attractive option, nobody has more money to offer than Mets owner Steve Cohen, whose net worth is $21 billion. Also, the Mets have an up-and-coming roster led by Francisco Lindor and performed better against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS (lost in six games) than the Yankees did in the World Series (lost in five games).
Will Soto stay, or will he go?
Juan Soto has a tough decision to make
Soto enjoyed a career year hitting in front of Judge, hitting .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBI. The former Washington National acknowledged that it would be hard to leave the Bronx, but was open to all possibilities , via ESPN's Jorge Castillo.
"Leaving any place that is a winning team is always hard, and definitely this place was really special," Soto said. "It's been a blast for me. I've been really happy. If I'm here or not, I've been really happy for the teammates that I have and the people that I get to know. This was a really special group, but at the end of the day, we will see what's going to happen."
If Soto stays with the Yankees, he'll return to a pennant-winning team and be protected by a future Hall-of-Famer for years to come. However, the four-time All-Star may have a hard time resisting Cohen's wallet.
