Generational star Juan Soto will be a hot commodity when he enters the free-agent market next off-season. Currently, Soto is at the pace of yet another statistically strong season, which will indeed increase his stakes in the market, where he is apparently chasing market records.
That being said, only teams with big pockets are expected to fight for Juan Soto next off-season. While New York Yankees, his current team, are front runners to seal an extension season, city rivals New York Mets emerged equal contenders. However, MLB analyst Ken Rosenthal does not believe Mets’ candidature will hold ground due to multiple internal issues.
Ken Rosenthal Pours Cold Water On Mets’ Ambitious Juan Soto Pursuit!
Juan Soto, a 25-year-old generational star, is expected to demand one of the most lucrative contracts in MLB history next off-season. His camp is chasing records as agent Scott Boras wants Soto to end up as the league’s most expensive player. Naturally, only top spending teams will contest for Soto in 2025. The New York Yankees have emerged as front runners so far after Hal Steinbrenner reconfirmed his intentions to negotiate a mid-season extension deal. However, Soto is unlikely to sign long-term with Yanks before exploring the market. That being said, besides the Yankees, city rivals New York Mets are believed to be heavily interested in Soto due to their significant spending power and are expected to give the Yanks a solid fight.
However, Ken Rosenthal, one of baseball’s most respected insiders, has cast doubt on the New York Mets’ pursuit of superstar outfielder Juan Soto. In a recent Foul Territory episode, Rosenthal highlighted several reasons why the Mets are unlikely to land Soto despite their ambitious attempts to bolster their roster with marquee talent. Rosenthal believes Soto is not a one-stop solution for the Mets as their issues run much deeper.
Moreover, Ken added that Mets’ recent history hasn’t been that great for Soto to take the plunge. “Why would he go there? They have not shown a track record of success of late,” said Rosenthal. Hence, the MLB insider suggested that Steve Cohen expand his perspective and search for necessary solutions instead of holding back a large sum of money for Juan Soto alone. Regardless, both city rivals are expected to be at a crossroads for Soto next year.
Why Even Yankees May Fall Short For Soto?
While New York Mets have a lot of issues restricting them from going after Juan Soto, the generational star’s present team, New York Yankees are not any indifferent. The Yanks are apparently being driven towards unsustainability due to soaring payroll, as confirmed by owner Hal Steinbrenner.
The Yankees owner confirmed that the club will work towards reducing the payroll from next season as he believes a $300 million roster is not essentially the key to success. That being said, Hal’s comments left the fans puzzled as many feared the team has already given up on Juan Soto as the latter is going to hit free agency net year with a $500 million contract demand.
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