Passan: Soto Free Agency Shaping Up to Be Mets vs. Yankees
The Juan Soto winter free agency sweepstakes will come down to the Mets vs. the Yankees, high ranking front office and ownership level sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan in an article posted Tuesday. The 25-year-old outfielder’s contract floor will be $500 million and he is expected to sign the second-richest contract ever behind Shohei Ohtani‘s $700 million. (This is assuming Soto doesn’t defer a massive majority of his contract like Ohtani did.)
The Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and both Los Angeles teams could also afford Soto, but Passan’s sources told him they will be long shots to sign him.
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The four-time All-Star has already hit a career-high 37 homers to go with 95 RBIs this year. He is slashing .296/.427/.600/.1.027—an average year for him. He’ll enter free agency at just 26 years old, giving whoever signs him a huge chunk of his prime before he hits his 30s.
Passan talked to Francisco Lindor about Soto, too.
“When it comes to the outfielder from across our borough, he’s having a fantastic year and I hope he goes out there and breaks every record out there when it comes to getting paid,” Lindor told Passan. “If it’s with us, it’ll be fantastic. He’ll help us a lot.”
Pete Alonso’s Free Agency
Passan also reported that while there is skepticism in the industry around Pete Alonso. He will still strike a major deal, Passan believes. However he expects it will be for less than $200 million. Freddie Freeman, Passan pointed out, considered a better first baseman, signed for six years and $162 million. Alonso reportedly declined a seven-year, $158 million deal from the Mets at the All-Star break in 2023.
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