"Juan Soto is no dummy": MLB insider believes disastrous Mets season prevents future signing of Yankees star
The New York Mets have been linked to Juan Soto for a long time. He's going to reach free agency this offseason, and it's expected that there will be a frenzy and perhaps a bidding war. The Mets have shown a willingness to spend and a desire to add star free agents in the past, but Ken Rosenthal believes their struggles might preclude a deal from getting done.
Rosenthal said:
"We know money talks, and Juan Soto, represented by Scott Boras, is going to the highest bidder. And if the Mets are the highest bidder, maybe they get Juan Soto. Two things: One, the Mets need more than Juan Soto. Two, Juan Soto is no dummy."
Rosenthal noted that Soto, who is only across town from the Mets, sees what's going on with that team. The insider said that it hasn't just been this year, either. The Mets have mostly struggled for a very long time.
He also believes that the Mets might try to go all in, but that Soto would potentially turn around and just tell the New York Yankees to get close to the same price since he'd prefer a team with the success of the Yankees and not the Mets.
Who will Juan Soto's next team be?
The New York Yankees want Juan Soto back. They've even expressed an openness to negotiating in-season, something they didn't even do when Aaron Judge was a pending free agent. However, they're going to have to contend with a lot of other teams next offseason.
The New York Mets are chief among them, but there will be plenty of other suitors for one of the game's best hitters entering his physical prime. The Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers have all been tossed around.
The Yankees have the benefit of knowing the team fit. Soto likes it in the Bronx and the two sides have enjoyed this partnership thus far. That bodes well for their chances, but a Scott Boras client usually signs for a hefty price. With other teams involved, the Yankees might be the favorites but will have to work for it.