Mets Owner to Meet with Juan Soto and Scott Boras Next Week
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is scheduled to meet with free-agent star Juan Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, next week in Southern California, according to sources reported by Mike Puma of the New York Post.
This will be the first meeting between Soto and the Mets as the team reportedly prepares to make a strong bid to bring the outfielder to Queens. Soto spent the 2024 season with the Yankees after moving across town from Washington, D.C.
Soto, 26, is rumored to be seeking a contract that could set a new record for the largest in MLB history. However, Cohen, the wealthiest owner in baseball, is not deterred. The Mets' payroll for 2024 was the highest in the league, and with over $90 million in dead money coming off the books this winter, the Mets are in a position to offer significant salary space for Soto.
In addition to the Mets, at least seven teams, including the Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays, are reportedly pursuing Soto, with the Mets and Yankees considered the frontrunners.
Soto and Boras are expected to meet with other team owners in the coming weeks, although it remains unclear if Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner will be involved. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed that he had been in touch with Boras and would continue discussions. However, Cashman noted that Steinbrenner may be less involved in the talks due to Soto's previous experience with the Yankees organization.
"We're more than willing to meet as many times as he would like to meet," Cashman said, per The Athletic's Brendan Kuty. "But I think Scott Boras is going to talk to Juan to get a feel as to whether he felt it was necessary for us to have as much time in person with him as other clubs because he knows us."
In his first season with the Yankees, Soto posted impressive numbers, hitting .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and an AL-best 128 runs scored. Since his rookie season in 2018, only Aaron Judge has accumulated more fWAR among position players than Soto.
