"Trea Turner was offered more money by Padres" - MLB analyst outlines Juan Soto’s path to Yankees for less than Mets' reported $660,000,000 bid
The New York Mets have reportedly made a staggering $660 million offer for Juan Soto on Monday, making them the clear favorites to sign the superstar free agent at this point.
However, baseball analyst Chris Rose believes the New York Yankees may not need to match the exact figure of that offer to bring Soto back to the Bronx. He said that the San Diego Padres also lost out to the Philadelphia Phillies in their efforts to acquire Trea Turner despite allegedly making a higher bid.
Reports emerged on Monday that New York Mets owner Steve Cohen had a meeting with Juan Soto in Los Angeles. Later, MLB insider Hector Gomez posted on X/Twitter that, as per former MLB player Carlos Baerga, the Mets have put forward a contract worth $660 million to sign Soto this off-season.
However, Chris Rose believes the Yankees can sign Soto for a marginally smaller offer. Rose is the host of the "Baseball Today" podcast for Jomboy Media, and he offered his thoughts during the latest episode of the show on Monday.
"Trea Turner was, I believe, offered more money by the San Diego Padres," Rose said. "He wanted to head back East, in part because of his wife's family, I believe. And so he wanted to play on the East Coast. All that makes sense.
"By the way, Juan Soto might have those thoughts, too. He might have a specific part of the country where he wants to play," he added.
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Turner is regarded as one of the premier shortstops in the MLB and was part of the 2019 Washington Nationals World Series winning team alongside Juan Soto. He was later traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 before joining the Philadelphia Phillies on an 11-year, $300 million deal ahead of the 2023 season.
We don't know how he is prioritizing things: Chris Rose on free agent speculation surrounding Juan Soto
Juan Soto has reportedly had meetings with three MLB teams since turning a free agent. He had allegedly spoken with representatives from the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays last week prior to his meeting with the New York Mets on Monday.
Chris Rose feels it is quite improbable to figure out which team the superstar slugger is going to play for next season at the moment. He said that the Yankees may have succeeded in retaining Aaron Judge two years ago even though the Padres had made him a much larger offer, but they cannot expect the Dominican slugger to do the same.
"Here's the difference: Aaron Judge knows only one way of life, and that is the New York Yankees way of life," Rose said. "Juan Soto knows what it's like to be a Washington National; he knows what it's like to be a San Diego Padre. And you know what he knows the least — what it's like to be a New York Yankee. I am sure he thoroughly enjoyed it. The people loved him.
"For people that say, 'Of course, he wants to stay a Yankee.' We don't know how he is prioritizing things," he added.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have also been reported as the next team set to meet the marquee free agent on Tuesday.