According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner made a “great pitch” to star free agent Juan Soto.
However, if you believe in the current momentum, it seems like the crosstown rival New York Mets are viewed as the favorites to land the electrifying slugger.
In his lone season with the Yankees, Soto posted a .288 batting average, slugged 41 home runs, and drove in 109 runs.
One of his most memorable moments came in Game 5 of the ALCS, where he launched a decisive three-run homer in extra innings to propel the Yankees to the World Series.
While the team ultimately fell short of a championship, Soto’s contributions were pivotal to their postseason run.
Every Yankee fan will tell you, Soto lived up to the hype – and then some.
However, there is growing uncertainty about whether Soto will remain in the Bronx.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal believes the Mets are the frontrunners to land Soto thanks in large part to billionaire owner Steve Cohen, who has shown a willingness to spend aggressively to secure top talent.
Needless to say, there is nothing Cohen would love more than to pluck the coveted Soto away from the hated Yankees.
“That is, to me, the most likely scenario,” Rosenthal said. “Now, as I said on Fair Territory yesterday, strange things happen in free agency. You don’t always anticipate where a player might go.
“It just seems to me that Scott Boras’ goal, Juan Soto’s goal is to get the most money, to make a precedent-setting deal. It’s why he turned $440 million from the Nationals a few years back – to get to the open market and establish his true value.
“So, who’s the guy best positioned to give him that? In my view, it’s [Steve] Cohen. If I were a betting man, that’s the way I would bet.”
Rosenthal is definitely right about one thing: Soto and Boras are searching for the largest offer possible.
As much as Soto loved his time in pinstripes, the Yankees won’t be getting any sort of hometown discount whatsoever.
Although several other teams are in the mix for Soto, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi predicts his decision will indeed come down to the two New York clubs.
“The fundamentals here still tell me he’s going to play in New York, for either the Yankees or the Mets,” Morosi said.
Despite Soto’s tremendous value, Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay admits it’s going to be near-impossible to outbid Cohen.
“I’ve heard from somebody in baseball today that Cohen’s willing to go $50 million over whatever anybody offers. So it looks like the Mets really want to get this guy,” Kay said.
“Knowing Scott, he’s going to want it to be over $700 million because no matter what it’s worth, the benchmark now is the $700 million the Dodgers gave Ohtani.”
Needless to say, if the Mets do in fact “steal” Soto from the Bombers, it’s going to ratchet up the Yankees-Mets rivalry to a whole new level.
What’s your prediction? … Where will Soto end up and what will his contract look like???
