Insiders share updates on expected Yankees, Mets bidding war for Juan Soto

MLB insider Buster Olney of ESPN has routinely suggested since September that New York Mets owner Steve Cohen will outbid New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner for Juan Soto once Soto reaches free agency following the upcoming World Series that will feature the All-Star outfielder and the Yankees facing the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Joel Sherman of the New York Post touched upon the subject for a piece published Monday evening. 

"The Yankees want to keep [Soto]," Sherman wrote. "Heck, every team should want him and many will bid on him. But I believe Hal Steinbrenner is serious about trying to draw the Yankees down from a $300M+ payroll, and so he will probably say 'uncle' in a mano-a-mano bidding war with [Cohen]."

Danny Abriano of SNY noted on Monday that the Mets "will have a ton of wiggle room to add impact talent this offseason" with salaries attached to big names such as co-aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander coming off the books. Meanwhile, Steinbrenner somewhat controversially said this past spring that his club's payroll was "not sustainable" long-term due to luxury-tax penalties. 

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel predicted earlier this month that the Yankees winning the World Series would bolster their chances of convincing Soto to accept even a slight discount to build a legacy with the Bronx Bombers. Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic poured cold water over such takes for a piece published Tuesday. 

"Any notion that the Yankees winning the World Series would give them a significant leg up on re-signing superstar Soto seems wishful at best," Ghiroli wrote. "Trophies are nice, but Soto — who turned down $440M from the Nationals before he was traded in 2022 — has often spoken about advancing the market and pushing things forward for the next group of players." 

Ghiroli shared that Soto "loves New York" and wants to chase championship rings. While the Yankees advanced further than the Mets in the ongoing postseason tournament, the Amazins were just two victories over the Dodgers away from giving New York baseball fans a fall Subway Series. 

"It’s tough to imagine a scenario where a few more October wins play a tangible role in distinguishing the Yankees from the Mets," Ghiroli added about Soto's pending free agency. 

For a different article published on Tuesday, The Athletic's Tim Britton mentioned that Mets fans won't accept the organization completing a second-straight underwhelming offseason after president of baseball operations David Stearns, who only officially joined the franchise last October, assembled a roster capable of getting to a National League Championship Series. 

Cohen may not win the Soto sweepstakes, but every indication is that the big-spending owner is going to make the slugger who turns 26-years-old this Friday a so-called "'Godfather' offer" next month.