The Mets’ dismal performance in 2024 may hurt their chances of acquiring Juan Soto in free agency this offseason.
upper “Foul Territory” show On Thursday, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal suggested the star outfielder could reject Queens because of team dysfunction.
“Would Juan Soto want to go to Citi Field and play for this team when he could potentially get an equal or greater offer from another team?” Rosenthal asked. “…All things being equal, why would he go there? They haven’t shown a track record of success lately. In fact, it’s been pretty messy the last few years.”
Rosenthal reiterated his doubts about Mets and Soto’s marriage on his digital show. “Fair territory” This suggests that even Steve Cohen’s deep pockets may not be able to lure Soto away from across town rivals the Yankees or any other high bidder.
“I know money talks, and Juan Soto, represented by Scott Boras, is going to go to whoever offers the highest bid,” Rosenthal said. “And if the Mets offer the highest bid, they might get Juan Soto. But two things: one, the Mets need more than Juan Soto, and two, Juan Soto’s not stupid. He knows what’s going on there. He’s known what’s going on for the last two years, and actually for a lot longer than that.” […] If I were Juan Soto, I would think about this a lot.”
Soto is preparing to become a free agent for the first time this winter and is in the midst of the best season of his career, batting .312/.415/.584 with 15 home runs for the AL-powerful Yankees.
The 25-year-old is expected to command a salary in the range of $400-500 million on the open market.
The Mets were 10 games below .500 at 23-33 before playing the Diamondbacks on Friday night in Arizona, and the first two months of this season have been bleak on and off the field.
Clubhouse frustration spilled over to the public this week when relief pitcher Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the stands as he left the field after being ejected from Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers.
After that game, Francisco Lindor called a players-only meeting where he and his teammates tried to keep the season from spiraling out of control.
