A surprising new rumor claims executives around MLB believe the New York Mets have a damaging goal in mind for the New York Yankees in their upcoming free agency battle for Juan Soto.
In October, baseball fans found out that both the Mets and Yankees were two of the four best teams in MLB in 2024. The Mets led their fans on a wild ride over the last couple of months as they secured a playoff spot on the final day of the season and made a surprising run to the NLCS. The Yankees were a powerhouse all year en route to a birth in the World Series.
Unfortunately, both New York teams found out they were not as good as the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Oddly enough, both reports suggest the clubs feel one specific player could have a huge influence on their 2025 title hopes. That being All-Star outfielder Juan Soto.
The 26-year-old was everything the Yankees could have hoped for in his debut season. However, he is set to hit the open market this month and various rumors suggest the Mets are also going to make a serious run at him. But, it seems some around the game feel New York’s NL team understands it is unlikely to win a battle for Soto against their in-city rivals and have a different goal in mind.
- Juan Soto stats (2024 regular season): 288 AVG, .419 OBP, .569 SLG, 41 HR, 109 RBI, 128 R
New York Mets aiming to specifically drive up Juan Soto’s contract cost for New York Yankees?
“Some executives believe the Mets might want to drive up the price for Soto but may not be one of the most serious suitors,” USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale wrote on Monday.
Heading into the offseason most reports suggested the Mets would be the biggest threat to the Yankees hopes of re-signing Juan Soto. This is one of the first notable rumors that maybe they don’t have that real a shot of luring away the star outfielder.
- Juan Soto contract (Projection): 12 years, $610 million
Early projections suggested Soto could make just over $500 million in his upcoming contract. However, recent reports now suggest it could easily blow by $600 million. Yankees boss Hal Steinbrenner has stated publicly he would like to cut payroll costs and avoid the serious penalties that come with having one of the most expensive payrolls in the sport.