The New York Mets delivered a huge blow to the New York Yankees by ‘stealing’ away superstar outfielder Juan Soto on Sunday night. Their 15-year, $765 million offer was superior to that of the Bombers and he chose Queens instead of the Bronx. Soto, however, wasn’t the first former Yankees player that the Mets signed in the offseason — and there is a chance he won’t be the last.
Before Soto decided on his team, the Mets signed Frankie Montas, a former Yankee, and Clay Holmes, who had been a high-leverage reliever for the Bombers since 2021. Now, rumor has it that the Mets could be interested in yet another Yankees arm: relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga.
The Mets have become a mecca for former Yankees
The Mets could be gearing up to pursue another Yankees arm this offseason. A recent report from SNY indicated that the Mets are considering making a run after Loaisiga:
“The Mets are reportedly among the teams with “heavy interest” in Jonathan Loaisiga,” SNY posted on X.
The Mets join the Yankees, the San Diego Padres, the Texas Rangers, and the Toronto Blue Jays among the organizations with varying degrees of interest in the injury-prone, yet talented Loaisiga.
Elbow issues ended Loaisiga’s season after just three appearances in 2024, and he has also suffered shoulder problems and other injuries. He does have, however, a 3.44 ERA in 219.2 frames for his career.
The Mets bullpen needs all the help it can get, and given his injury history, Loaisiga probably won’t be incredibly expensive. If he is healthy to open 2025 (he should be, according to reports), he should be able to find his way into a contender’s bullpen thanks to his filthy stuff and track record.
Will he choose the Mets over the Yankees like some of his former teammates have done within the last few weeks? If so, can he return to the form he showed when healthy in recent seasons? It will be another fascinating storyline in an increasingly active off-season.
