The New York Yankees may have to keep an eye on the other side of the subway.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Friday that early hints are the New York Mets will indeed make a run at Yankees star outfielder Juan Soto in free agency this offseason. Heyman further quotes an anonymous MLB executive who believes the Mets are the single biggest threat to the Yankees for Soto.
“It’s the Yankees, then the Mets, then everyone else,” the executive was quoted as saying.
The four-time All-Star Soto is batting .288 this season with 41 home runs and 108 RBIs, setting himself for a massive payday this winter (that may even exceed half a billion dollars). As for the Mets, who are on the verge of clinching an NL Wild Card spot, they have been rather spend-happy during the Steve Cohen era and have already indeed been linked to a possible Soto pursuit for some time now.
It is always possible that Soto could ultimately end up with a dark-horse team like this one. But at least for now, it definitely seems like a New York-New York race at the top for Soto’s services.
