"Juan Soto is in his 20s, everybody else is old" - MLB sportscaster raises concerns about Mets outfield without coveted free agent
The biggest talk of the 2024 stove league is the landing spot for Juan Soto. After a sensational lone season for the New York Yankees, the young Dominican star tops the bill for this year's free agency class.
One of the biggest reported suitors of Soto are the Yankees' cross-city rivals New York Mets. Ever since their acquisition by billionaire and business magnate Steve Cohen, the Mets have garnered a reputation as one of the top spenders in the league.
In the New York Mets podcast by Pete Hoffman and Evan Roberts, the duo talked about the prospect of signing Soto and the state of the Mets' outfield.
"(Juan) Soto's in his 20s, everybody else is old," Roberts said.
Roberts, who's a long-time broadcaster for the Mets on WFAN, discussed that the Mets are in an unenviable positions when it comes to their outfield.
The broadcaster shared his worries about having the top free agents being north of 30. He also pointed out another probable Mets' signing in Cody Bellinger who has opt-outs in his contract.
"Everybody else is in their 30s. Bellinger will turn 30 in July. He's due to make $27.5 million this year, and then he would make $25 million in 2026, so you're talking about two years about $52.5 million left on his deal."
Evan Roberts further discussed that if the Mets fail to land Juan Soto, the team is doomed in the position:
"If they don't add Juan Soto, look at them at outfield. They have a lot of questions because one thing I know for certain is I don't want Starling Marte as the everyday right fielder."
Juan Soto pursued by Yankees' rivals
At the moment, the frontrunners in the Juan Soto sweepstakes are his most recent team New York Yankees and its two biggest rivals, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets.
After an MVP-caliber campaign, the 26-year-old is projected to fetch around $500 million in this year's free agency market. It has been reported that Mets owner Steve Cohen has met with Soto.
The Red Sox, likewise, had a "productive" meeting with the star in southern California. The delegation included president Sam Kennedy, chairman Tom Werner and manager Alex Cora. Club legend and Dominican baseball icon David Ortiz was also reportedly giving his pitch to Soto.