DALLAS — Mets owner Steve Cohen and his top baseball man, David Stearns, held a secret last-minute meeting Friday at Cohen's home in Boca Raton, Fla., with Soto's inner circle, including Juan Soto and Scott Boras. We held a lunch meeting. A fun second gathering solidified Cohen's determination to win the winter prize.
Still, Cohen also walked away from that powerful meeting that convinced Soto that he was prepared to continue wearing pinstripes.
Given this meeting, and the one that followed a few weeks later at Cohen's Beverly Hills mansion, Cohen's first thoughts were: I lost my home. ”
Another thought that stuck with Cohen was pervasive throughout the weekend, right up until he said yes to the historic $765 million deal that brought Soto to the Metropolitans. , which got to the heart of the matter. I had no intention of winning this intracity competition. I can't get the negative thought out of my head that he can't match or exceed the Yankees' obvious advantage.
“I was logical when I had [Aaron] Judge, this is hard to break,” Cohen told The Post by phone. “Juan was great. But what they had… they didn't know how to solve it.”
Cohen believed he was the most motivated owner, but he also believed it would ultimately come down to two teams in New York, and he was right about both. The only thing he was wrong about was the eventual Derby winner.
Many times over the weekend, he told people he was sure they were running second right up until the moment he crossed the line in first. He continued bidding anyway. He was so sure he was heading into bridesmaid territory that he joked to friends and confidants that there was a prize for second place.
“There were a lot of emotions and ups and downs, not knowing where I stood,” Cohen said.
He frequently stated that the process leading up to the final disclosure was opaque.
When he finally won the day and acquired the player he so coveted, Cohen and Soto had a brief conversation on the phone. He thanked the new superstar for believing in the Mets.
“Juan will be very happy with the Mets,” Cohen determined.
Some people think these sweepstakes are all about money, but there's no doubt that that was a big factor. Soto wanted to establish a market for subsequent players and would have wanted to be paid whatever he felt was market value.
The Mets offered him a chance, but he turned it down, so it's unclear whether he would have stayed with the Yankees had they accepted the offer. But Mr. Cohen and Mr. Stearns certainly left a great impression during their two meetings. And it didn't hurt.
A person close to the situation said Soto has grown to trust the Mets' core duo, which helped the Mets reach the NLCS during what was supposed to be a transition period. As such, they're entering a ballgame with a team that has an advantage in history, tradition, consistency and incumbency. And of course lineup protection.
The Mets' offer was only marginally advanced all along, but it's possible that something relatively small could have helped. A combination of benefits such as a $75 million signing bonus (the Yankees offered $60 million), an escalator that took the contract to $805 million, a no-trade clause, no deferrals (the Yankees had none either), and five years. opting out (at age 30) and a suite for the Soto family may have helped push them over the finish line.
The Yankees can't be blamed for making a huge $760 million bid, but they won't budge on the suite. The Yankees felt they couldn't give Soto a suite if Judge paid for one, and even Derek Jeter. They offered discounts on suites, but did not change the precedent.
Cohen didn't think much of the suite. When he has his eyes on the prize, he shows special concentration.
Some might say he's trying to turn New York into a Mets city now. But that's not his motivation. He doesn't see it that way.
“The Yankees are the Yankees, and I respect that,” Cohen said. “This isn't about Yankees vs. Mets. It's about competing for players. We can both be in New York. There's plenty of space.”
Cohen is spaced out.
Although he could be accused of overpaying, the deal is historic and noteworthy. But the Blue Jays are also thought to be worth $760 million, and it's not like he blew the field away. In fact, the Mets were thought to be running in second place behind the Jays at $720 million until the weekend, when the Yankees increased their bid from $702 million to $712 million. The difference was not that large.
Cohen initially offered a contract bonus of $100 million, but Soto's camp was interested in an average annual salary of $50 million. Cohen won $750 million in the closing stages and then $765 million for the win. The Yankees added a 16th year to their $47.5 million annual offer to keep the total under $5 million. You could suggest that it's an extra $5 million, or extra perks, or whatever. And that may be true. But the impression left by the Coens was not bad either.
