NY Yankees’ Juan Soto reportedly eyeing ‘bidding war’ between two teams
from Zac Wassink, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto is still in the early days of a love affair with a fan base that has warmly welcomed him this spring, but it appears his camp wants it known he’s open to making a move to the New York Mets in free agency.
“The Yankees will aim to retain him, and sources within the Mets organization have said that team intends to make a run, too,” ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney said about Soto for a piece published Wednesday. “Agents speculate that the two big numbers that Scott Boras, Soto’s agent, will target are $500M in a total package, as well as the record for any position player…While there might be other teams involved in the chase, all he really needs to push salary benchmarks is to be the object of a Yankees versus Mets bidding war.”
Soto joined the Yankees from the San Diego Padres via a December trade and has quickly established himself as a fan favorite and a key figure for a team that began the ongoing season at 12-3 before it experienced a three-game losing streak.
According to ESPN stats, Soto began Wednesday tied for the MLB lead with 16 walks. He posted a .324 batting average and a .947 OPS with three home runs and 15 RBI across his first 18 games in pinstripes.
It was reported earlier this month that the combination of Soto and Boras likely won’t give the Yankees any type of discount either before or shortly after the 25-year-old reaches the open market this fall.
Olney mentioned in Wednesday’s article that Soto “could surpass the present-day value assessment for” the contract that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani landed from the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason.
“Under the terms of his deal, Ohtani will make $2M in salary next year,” Olney explained. “If Soto stays healthy and productive — and continues his love affair with the Yankees and their fans — it’s possible he could make 25 times that amount. He could be the first player to earn $50M in a season.”
Big-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen theoretically can outbid every other club for Soto, and Cohen sounds ready to spend money before Christmas 2024 following the club’s relatively quiet winter.
While the Mets began the season with five straight losses, they ultimately improved to 9-8 ahead of Wednesday’s home game against the 11-7 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Beloved Mets first baseman Pete Alonso is also on track to reach free agency after this season, but some are convinced team president of baseball operations David Stearns “has little interest” in paying a slugger who turns 30 years old in December.
In short, those rumblings of a Yankees-Mets battle regarding Soto’s services seem unlikely to quiet down anytime soon.
*************Yankees star joins elite company after latest feat**********
from David Hill, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto reached a milestone on Wednesday.
Soto belted a home run off of Blue Jays reliever Genesis Cabrera with one out in the top of the eighth inning. That blast was part of a 3-3 day for Soto, as he drove in two runs and had two walks in the Yankees 6-4 comeback victory.
That home run also had personal significance for Soto. When he crossed home plate, he drove in the 500th run of his career. Soto became the 21st player since 1950 to record at least 500 RBI before his 26th birthday. He turns 26 years old on October 25.
Soto is in impressive company. 10 of those players are in the Hall of Fame, with three others – Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper – almost certain to be immortalized as well. Soto is 86 RBI away from the top 10 on that list which could ensure his Hall of Fame credentials. Ruben Sierra and Alex Rodriguez are the only players in the top 10 that have not been inducted in Cooperstown.
A three-time All-Star and part of the 2019 World Series winning Nationals, Soto has had an excellent start to his career. He has posted a .286/.423/.526 batting line in his 3,465 plate appearances entering Thursday, hitting 164 homers and 152 doubles. His run production is all the more impressive considering how often he walks, as he has led the majors in that category since 2021.
It is impossible to know what the future will hold. Soto’s career could follow the path of players such as Vada Pinson and Cesar Cedeno, solid players who peaked early. He could also follow the path of the likes of Frank Robinson and Al Kaline, steadily producing while building a Hall of Fame resume.
For now, he has joined an elite group with his latest feat.