The New York Yankees are facing another challenging free-agent situation, just two years after Aaron Judge entered the market. While Judge is often considered one of the best players in Major League Baseball, Juan Soto’s free agency is expected to be even more significant than the Yankees’ MVP.

Several teams could land Soto, with the Yankees in the mix. However, other teams, including the New York Mets, are considered strong contenders. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report predicted that Soto would sign with the Mets in free agency.

“Juan Soto’s free agency should be monumental. The AL MVP finalist recently turned 26 and has already posted some of the best offensive numbers of his generation,” Buckley wrote on November 12. “With his power bat and enough contact ability to claim a batting title, his earning potential is sky-high… Heyman mentioned Toronto’s ‘deep pockets and strong motivation to improve’ as reasons industry insiders believe the club could also be a real threat to sign Soto…”

“While adding Soto to a lineup with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette is an exciting thought, it’s still hard to picture the slugger signing anywhere but the Big Apple. It’s long been expected to be a battle between the Yankees and Mets, and that still seems the most likely outcome. Prediction: Soto will sign with the Mets.”

Soto Aims to Break Shohei Ohtani’s Record Deal

Soto has a chance to surpass Shohei Ohtani’s record as the highest-paid player in MLB history. Even if he doesn’t exceed Ohtani’s full $700 million deal, the deferred payments in his contract could help Soto secure the largest average annual value (AAV) contract in history.

To do so, Soto would need to exceed $47 million in present-day value, which seems achievable based on current projections. Both the New York Mets and Yankees could realistically offer him such a deal.

David Schoenfield of ESPN compared the two teams, noting that Soto might be the safest free agent in recent memory, which could drive his price up.

“Some years, it’s unclear who will land the largest contract—like Bryce Harper or Manny Machado in 2018-19, or Carlos Correa and Corey Seager in 2021-22. But like Ohtani last season, Soto will be without competition for that honor, and he and agent Scott Boras will aim to top Ohtani’s historic deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, valued at $460.8 million in present-day terms (since much of Ohtani’s $700 million deal was deferred).”

“Like Harper and Machado, Soto is a young free agent, entering his age-26 season. Given his elite hitting ability, that makes him one of the safest superstar free agents in recent memory—perhaps even more so than Ohtani (excluding Ohtani’s unmatched marketing appeal),” Schoenfield wrote on November 14.

Why the Yankees Must Keep Soto

After falling short in the World Series, the New York Yankees were just a few key moments away from potentially winning it all in Soto’s first season with the team. If not for a walk-off home run in Game 1 and multiple errors in Game 5, the Yankees could have been leading the series 3-2.

Though “what if” scenarios don’t always hold weight, they show that the Yankees were close. If their ultimate goal is a World Series championship, losing Soto would hinder that pursuit.

Losing him to the New York Mets would be even more damaging, as it would strengthen their chances of winning a World Series and establish them as the dominant team in New York, a reality Yankees fans never want to see.

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