NEW YORK – Apparently, Dominican Juan Soto met with the Mets last weekend, as part of a series of meetings with various managers from the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays. If the recent history of Scott Boras’ clients is any indicator, then Soto would be about two weeks away from making a decision. Either way, it’s clear that the Mets will remain well involved in the race until the end.
And although we don’t know exactly the details of the possible contractual offer, there are certain elements that seem obvious:
In the end, a lot of it is about money, right? Steve Cohen is the richest owner in Major League Baseball, and he certainly seems motivated to build a winning team at all costs. Cohen’s Mets have led the league in payroll the past two seasons, including a record-breaking 2023 season.
Neither he nor president of baseball operations David Stearns have indicated the club will take a step back now. Nor have they made it clear that they want to stop exceeding the Competitive Balance Tax.
All this suggests that the Mets will be protagonists in the bid for Soto.
The Dominican will not be a cheap investment. Soto will look to approach or even surpass Ohtani’s $700 million contract, which is currently worth about $46 million annually after including deferred amounts. If he also seeks to match the length of Harper’s 13-year pact, Soto could be receiving offers north of $600 million. It’s an amount that will likely leave the Mets above the Competitive Balance Tax for a considerable time.
Of course, this doesn’t seem to matter to them. The Mets are one of the few teams in baseball that seem to have no limits on their investments both now and for the near future. That indicates a level of competitiveness that could be attractive to Soto.
In many ways, Soto seems to love New York. At the beginning of his time with the Yankees, Soto was seen in a barbershop located in Washington Heights (which has a framed David Wright jersey) with one of his teammates at 3 a.m. That neighborhood is known for the large presence of Dominican culture . When asked on MLB Network about playing in New York, Soto responded: “The truth is that there are a lot of Dominicans here. Lots of people who make you feel at home. That’s why I got used to it so quickly.”
“The way people treat you here,” he continued. “Just because you are a Latin American player, they treat you like family. “This is what it’s all about.”
Soto adapted seamlessly to New York, a city with stories of players who have been overwhelmed by the country’s largest media market. Soto is not one of them. His first season in New York was statistically the best of his career.
And players who shine in the Big Apple usually choose to stay here.
The Mets haven’t won a World Series in 38 years. A large part of the club’s current fans have never seen their team win a ring. If Soto joins this franchise and ends that drought, he would immediately become a legend in Queens, along with Tom Seaver, Keith Hernández and Gary Carter.
Could the Yankees, with Aaron Judge as the face of the club, offer a similar scenario to the Dominican? Or maybe the Red Sox, who have won four titles in the last 21 years? Or even the Blue Jays, who are viewed by many as the second team in town behind the NHL hockey team the Maple Leafs?
True, the Mets have their leaders too, such as Puerto Rican Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo (not to mention Pete Alonso, in case he renews). But if Soto hits free agency and leads the Mets to glory, no one will doubt his impact. The closest comparison would be that of Hernández and Carter; two established stars in other markets who became legends in Queens.
2024-11-20 16:28:00