Juan Soto Rumors: Inside Steve Cohen, Wife Alex's Pitch About Historic Mets Contract

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and his wife, Alex, reportedly played a large role in Juan Soto's decision to sign with the team in free agency.

Soto met with several teams at the Pendry hotel in California, but Cohen insisted that he host his meeting with Soto at his own residence in the state, according to Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon, Brendan Kuty and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

"During the meeting with Soto, Cohen and his wife Alex outlined their vision for the Mets, and how the best free agent on the market would fit into that picture," Mooney, Sammon, Kuty and Rosenthal wrote on Monday. "According to a league source, Cohen referenced the relationships he built over the course of his long Wall Street career, and shared his insights about what it takes to be successful in any field."

The four-time All-Star ultimately joined the Mets on a 15-year, $765 million contract that can be worth up to $800 million with escalators, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The New York Yankees attempted to bring back Soto after he spent the 2024 season with the organization, but a return didn't come to fruition. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees offered the outfielder a 16-year deal worth $760 million.

The crosstown free-agent clashes from the past appeared to play a role in Cohen's aggressive approach to landing Soto.

"Cohen was not going to defer to the Yankees, the way he did in 2022 when Aaron Judge flirted with other teams before signing his nine-year, $360 million contract to remain in the Bronx," Mooney, Sammon, Kuty and Rosenthal wrote. "But Cohen's eagerness to spend – and the possibility of poaching a superstar from a crosstown rival – was just one aspect to this perfect storm."

After making a surprising appearance in the National League Championship Series in 2024, the Mets will now be adding one of the league's most imposing hitters to their lineup. Soto wrapped up an incredible season with the Yankees, racking up 41 home runs and 109 RBIs while posting a .989 OPS.

He remained stellar during the Bronx Bombers' American League pennant run, hitting four homers in 14 postseason games to go along with a .327/.469/.633 slash line.

In the end, efforts from the Cohen family to sway Soto throughout his free agency succeeded.