"Jalen Brunson was in same position Juan Soto is" - MLB analyst urges Mets, Yankees enlist Knicks All-Star's services to sway superstar free agent
Juan Soto's free agency rumors have taken over the MLB with fans and analysts predicting the superstar slugger's new team after a remarkable season with the New York Yankees in 2024.
The Dominican All-Star is expected to sign a blockbuster contract with reports indicating it to be around the $700 million mark the Los Angeles Dodgers offered Shohei Ohtani last offseason.
Former All-Star first baseman and Yankees coach Sean Casey discussed Soto's potential next destination with TV producer Rich Ciancimino in the latest episode of his "The Mayor's Office with Sean Casey" podcast.
The two discussed if Juan Soto would be willing to take a pay cut to return to the Yankees, drawing a parallel with NBA All-Star Jalen Brunson who took a significant pay cut by signing an extension with the New York Knicks in July this year.
Talking about if Soto could take a contract with $100 million less, Ciancimino said:
"The only thing I can say about that is Jalen Brunson did it for the Knicks and I wonder if those two guys met. Jalen Brunson was in somewhat of the same position Juan Soto is. He is not the Juan Soto of the NBA, but monetarily speaking, they make more money in the NBA; he took one of the biggest cuts to stay in New York.
"If I'm either the Mets or the Yankees, I've already recruited Jalen Brunson to say why stayed here for less," he added.
(from 22:32 mark onwards)
Brunson reportedly signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension, leaving $113 million on the table if he had waited for free agency. However, Sean Casey said Soto wasn't leaving $100 million on the table but could see him return to New York if the difference was $50 million.
MLB insider predicts favorites in Juan Soto sweepstake
While the Yankees are one of the potential destinations for Juan Soto, MLB insider Jon Heyman picked city rivals New York Mets as one of the favorites in the race for the former World Series winner.
Heyman also had a surprise pick, naming the Toronto Blue Jays as another team among his favorites for the Soto sweepstake.
"Don't hold me to this, what I'm going to predict today, and I change every other day, I think it's going to be about the money,” Heyman said. “So the teams that are going to be able to win the bidding war are probably the teams with the biggest advantage. And I'm gonna say right here that the Mets, followed by the Blue Jays would be my guess today.”
The Blue Jays were one of the strong contenders for Shohei Ohtani last year and reportedly offered a similar deal to the Dodgers' $700 million. It'll be interesting to see if they will be ready to break the bank for Soto after missing out on the NL MVP front-runner last offseason.