The New York Mets have long been linked to New York Yankees superstar slugger Juan Soto, and the likelihood that they can lure the Dominican AL MVP candidate across the waters to Queens, NY., in free agency is becoming more of a reality as the offseason nears.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were just too much for the Mets to handle in the National League Championship Series this year and the same can be said for the Yankees, who are currently down 3-0 to L.A. in the World Series. The common denominator is Soto — a peculiar talent who has taken the Yankees from failing to advance past the ALCS for years to the Fall Classic in his first season next to American League MVP favorite Aaron Judge, former 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, and company.
Juan Soto could take the Mets over the top in 2025
Soto could greatly revitalize a Mets team that tore through the second half of the 2024 MLB campaign but clearly needed extra oomph to make their title hopes a reality. His impact on the Yankees could be seen with his AL-leading 128 runs, 41 home runs, and 109 RBIs on a clean .288/.419/.569 slash line.
If that wasn’t enough, the 26-year-old has boasted four homers, nine runs, and nine RBIs this postseason and would be a top candidate to win World Series MVP for New York if the Yankees pull off the impossible and come back from down 3-0. Thus, Soto’s worth is invaluable. With that would come a steep price tag for Mets owner Steve Cohen to pay for his services. But as the record has shown, Cohen’s pockets are deep.
The Mets have the structure in place to lure Juan Soto to their franchise
SNY’s Danny Abriano argued that Soto should not only be the Mets’ top priority this offseason, but that their team culture, financial situation, and future outlook would all provide a better environment for Soto to want to play in, saying this in part:
“At the same time, it’s hard to see any team outbidding the Mets and Cohen for Soto if they do indeed make him their top target.
The question, then, might be how much any team might have to outbid the Yankees to land Soto. The Mets should find out what that number is, and then offer it. If the Yankees match it, they should exceed it. Rinse and repeat,” Abriano hammered home.
“It can be argued that the Mets are set up better for success going forward than the Yankees. It can also be argued that their clubhouse and overall vibe of fun and looseness might be more welcoming for most players than the sterile, business-like vibe in the Bronx. But this will likely come down to money. And the Mets undoubtedly have the advantage there.”
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The Yankees have $202.4 million on their books for 2025 including a couple of aging superstars in Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton, while the Mets come roughly $60M freer in cap space with $141.7 million on their payroll. Thus, they have the wiggle room to pay Soto the hefty long-term deal he’d want.
Plus, playing alongside another MVP-caliber player like Francisco Lindor at Citi Field would ensure that Soto has top-shelf support around him for the foreseeable future. The offseason will determine just how aggressive the Mets are in their pursuit of the four-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
