While it was said as far back as last winter that All-Star New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto would likely look to reset the market for position players in free agency this fall, some recently wondered if he could give either the Yankees or New York Mets somewhat of a discount in negotiations due to his alleged desire “to be on the East Coast.”
Shortly after the Yankees fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series on Wednesday night, Soto indicated he will sign with the highest bidder.
“I don’t have any doors closed,” Soto said about his pending free agency, as shared by Phillip Martinez of SNY. “I’ll be available for all 30 teams.”
Soto previously had been linked with the Mets and Dodgers, among other clubs, amid whispers suggesting that Mets owner Steve Cohen will eventually outbid Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner for the 26-year-old. Teams other than the Yankees can’t officially negotiate with Soto until next week.
On Wednesday, MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees could target New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso as part of a “backup plan” regarding the Soto sweepstakes. That same day, one industry source told Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media (h/t Randy Miller) that the Yankees will be “competitive” in their pursuit of Soto’s signature.
As Manny Gomez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com noted, Cohen can afford to be more “competitive” than Steinbrenner and any other team owner in free agency.
“I feel like every team has the same opportunities when I’m going to the free agency,” Soto added. “I don’t want to say anybody has any advantage, because at the end of the day, we’re going to look what they have.”
Soto’s message couldn’t have been clearer. Every team with deep pockets and a history of spending on big-name players — the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants to name a handful — will be considered as a potential landing spot if the money is right.
There’s no reason to believe Soto will re-sign with the Yankees during the exclusive five-day negotiating window for internal free agents that gets underway on Thursday morning.