ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney raised eyebrows when he reported early Wednesday morning that the New York Mets “fully intend to take a run at” New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Juan Soto assuming Soto becomes a free agent this coming fall.
Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com asked Soto about Olney’s story.
“I don’t know,” Soto responded. “I don’t really care.”
It was reported shortly after the Yankees acquired Soto from the San Diego Padres in December that there was “little-to-no chance” the 25-year-old, represented by agent Scott Boras, would sign a contract extension with the Bronx Bombers before or during the upcoming season.
Boras, who also represents Mets All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso heading into Alonso’s walk year, has a long history of encouraging clients to reach free agency.
“It is what it is,” Soto said regarding questions about his playing future he will inevitably face throughout this season. “For me, like I’ve said, I’m going to play baseball. I’m part of the Yankees right now. I’m not going to worry about it…I’m part of the Yankees. If they want to talk, they can talk with Scott.”
Big-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen assembled baseball’s most expensive squad for the 2023 season, but seemingly signed off on what many fans have deemed to be an underwhelming offseason after David Stearns officially became Mets president of baseball operations in October.
However, one unnamed team executive who doesn’t work for the Mets but knows Cohen suggested while speaking with MLB insider Andy Martino of SNY in February that the Amazins could both hold onto Alonso and take Soto from the Yankees by Christmas Day 2024.
“While some Yankees fans are holding out hope that Soto won’t be a one-and-done, many in the baseball industry believe he’ll be playing somewhere else next season,” Miller said in his piece published on Thursday morning. Miller also mentioned that “there already are rumors that Boras…expects to end up with at least $550M” attached to Soto’s next contract.
It was reported in the fall of 2022 that the Mets didn’t pursue Yankees superstar slugger Aaron Judge in free agency at that time because Cohen and Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner “enjoy a mutually respectful relationship” and allegedly did not “expect to upend that with a high-profile bidding war.”
Outsiders may never fully know specifics about what Cohen and Steinbrenner did and/or didn’t say to each other about Judge, but it seems the two owners have no handshake agreement as it pertains to Soto’s future beyond the 2024 World Series.
