Juan Soto Rumors: Yankees, Mets Top Suitors in 2025 FA; Contract Floor Seen as $500M
August 27, 2024
If the New York Yankees want to keep Juan Soto beyond 2024, they will have competition from another team in their city.
Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Yankees and New York Mets are considered the top potential suitors for Soto in free agency and the floor for his contract is expected to be $500 million.
The price only puts a few teams in the discussion, but Passan noted big-market clubs like the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox are considered "long shots to make a real push" for Soto.
It's been a not-so-quiet secret that the Mets are keeping an eye on Soto. Mets players like Francisco Alvarez and Francisco Lindor have talked publicly about what it would mean if the team could add him.
"When it comes to the outfielder from across our borough, he's having a fantastic year and I hope he goes out there and breaks every record out there when it comes to getting paid. If it's with us, it'll be fantastic. He'll help us a lot," Lindor told Passan.
MLB Network's Jon Heyman recently said on MLB Central (starts at 1:45 mark) that people within the league anticipate the Mets will present Soto with the biggest contract offer.
Yankees fans made it clear they want the four-time All-Star to keep playing in the Bronx when they chanted "please stay, Soto" at him during Sunday's victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Soto joked afterward that the fans need to talk to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
The decision doesn't actually come down to Cashman, but rather Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner. He hasn't been as aggressive spending as his father was, which has been a criticism aimed at him over the years.
The Yankees already have $202.4 million in salary commitments next season, with $186.1 million of that committed to just seven players. The Mets only have $141.8 million in salary commitments on the books for 2025.
Mets owner Steve Cohen hasn't been shy about spending when he senses an opportunity to win. Even though the strategy didn't pay off in 2023, it did allow the Mets to reset their books and add more talent to their farm system.
When you combine that with the opportunity Cohen has to potentially take a superstar player away from the Yankees, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him break the bank for the Soto.
Soto, who turns 26 on Oct. 25, is having arguably the best season of his career in 2024. He is hitting .296/.427/.600 with 37 homers over 588 plate appearances in 127 games.