SAN ANTONIO — Steve Cohen's net worth may significantly exceed that of the Steinbrenner family, but the Yankees aren't worried that will prevent them from retaining the best players on the free agent market.
During Tuesday's GM meeting, Yankees GM Brian Cashman acknowledged the Mets are a threat to sign Juan Soto.
Still, he said the Mets' seemingly unlimited resources, of which Cohen is an owner, come with no guarantees, and he laughed when asked if Cohen would be nervous.
“That's just the nature of the beast,” Cashman said. “[But] It's not just big market owners with deep pockets who make big deals with players. You've probably seen the San Diego Padres sitting on the West Coast. They've brought in a lot of big-time players, big-time contracts, and beat high-profile teams, so that's in different forms, in different cities, at different times.
“The market is so strong this time of year from so many different aspects of the baseball world that we have to do our best to compete with anyone on a year-round basis.”
According to Forbes magazine, Cohen's net worth is $21.3 billion.
Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner and his three brothers (or their families) each have a net worth of $1.5 billion, according to the same source.
Soto, 26, could land a contract in the $600 million district.
Cashman was asked what kind of threat the Mets pose in the Soto sweepstakes.
“They want to win,” Cashman said. “They are entering a big market with us, they have had a taste of success this year and they want to go even further. It's about importing. That's what it's about for us, for them, for everyone who's interested in winning, to be the last team standing, to try to find great players and add them to the mix. ”
Despite Cohen's deep pockets, the Mets didn't get too involved in Shohei Ohtani's free agency last winter, sensing the Japanese star wanted to remain on the West Coast. He ultimately signed a much-delayed 10-year contract with the Dodgers worth $700 million.
The Mets pursued Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but the Japanese right-hander accepted a 12-year contract worth $325 million from the Dodgers, leveraging a similar offer from the Mets.
Manager Cashman began recruiting Soto, who hit 41 home runs and posted a .989 OPS, helping the Yankees advance to the World Series.
Cashman said he had discussed a possible reunion with Soto's agent, Scott Boras, on Tuesday and said the Yankees were ready to “hope for the best.” However, Cashman also indicated that re-signing Soto is not essential.
“If you can't do that [retain Soto]There are a lot of different players in this market that can positively impact this roster in different ways,” Cashman said. “We want to explore every possible way to put together the best team possible for 2025, because we want to get back to where we just finished in the World Series.”
The newspaper reported last week that the Mets are believed to be among the first teams to check on Soto after the Yankees lost to the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series.
However, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has yet to publicly confirm the team's interest in Soto.
Cashman said it remains unclear whether Soto and Yankees leaders will meet in person.
“He knows us, so if he feels like he needs to meet with us, we're ready to meet with him,” Cashman said. “He understands the opportunity situation that exists for him right now. He's played in San Diego. He's played in Washington. Now he's playing here. So we're happy to meet him as many times as he wants.”
