MLB Insider Jeff Passan believes New York Mets could try to acquire $23,000,000 star Juan Soto - "The Mets are a scary possibility for Juan Soto"
The New York Mets were in the market for a superstar last season, and ESPN's Jeff Passan believes they could target Juan Soto this offseason. The San Diego Padres superstar is under contract, with one more year of arbitration, before he gets what will certainly be a mega deal. The Mets have the assets to make a trade work, but it only makes sense with a long-term deal attatched.
Mets owner Steve Cohen came in to 2023 willing to spend like crazy, signing Justin Verlander and attempting to sign Carlos Correa. Soto will command a contract that will certainly eclipse what Correa got, and could rival Verlander. He is an offensive prodigy, and the $23,000,000 the Padres paid him this season was a bargain.
Jeff Passan shared this report on the "Baseball is Dead" podcast, and it was shared to X by Mike Mayer.
"The Mets are a scary possibility for Juan Soto & I think the Mets probably are in a better position to offer prospects to go out & get him because I think Mets ownership has shown the aptitude & desire to sign guys like Soto long-term" - Jeff Passan
Many assumed the New York Mets would try to play it safe in 2024, as they are more than one player away from a championship roster. However, Soto is a young enough player who could become a cornerstone of their franchise. It would be hard to find a better, more consistent player to build around.
The New York Mets have plenty of options this offseason, including Juan Soto
If they do trade for Juan Soto, and give him the long term contract he wants, they could lose out on other options. The most notable would be Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani. He will be commanding likely the largest price tag in MLB history, so Cohen may not shell out for both.
John Harper of the SNY Network certainly thinks a huge offer could be extended to Ohtani this offseason.
"If Ohtani is willing [to come east], every baseball person I spoke to fully expects that owner Steve Cohen would make the biggest offer" - John Harper
Juan Soto as a consolation prize for not signing Shohei Ohtani would still be a massive move. However, the Mets can only do one of these things, at best, so they will have to decide soon.