Juan Soto free agency: Why Mets have more to offer than biggest paycheck in pursuit of superstar

Two Saturdays ago, a New York Mets contingent led by owner Steve Cohen, POBO David Stearns, and manager Carlos Mendoza met with top-ranked free agent Juan Soto and agent Scott Boras in Southern California. Soto and Boras have met with several teams over the last two weeks, fashioning the trips as a meet-and-greet with official offers not coming down until this week.

Cohen’s Mets will undoubtedly be a major player for Soto and perhaps make the largest bid, which feels like a necessity to lure him away from the crosstown New York Yankees. The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are said to be serious about pursuing Soto as well, and I wouldn’t rule out the Philadelphia Phillies or World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers either.

Soto turned only 26 last month and he just finished third in the AL MVP voting. He’s one of the best hitters in the game and one of the best hitters ever at this age. It goes without saying then that Soto is a fit for every single team. Here now are three reasons he’s an especially good fit for the Mets, and vice versa.

1. The owner is willing to spend

The Mets, not the Dodgers or Yankees, had the highest payroll in baseball in 2024. They’ve had the highest payroll in baseball each of the last three years, in fact. Between player salaries and competitive balance tax (CBT), the Mets are looking at spending north of $400 million on player payroll this year. It would be their second straight season with a $400 million outlay.

Cohen is MLB’s wealthiest owner and his net worth is said to be in the $20 billion range. The fact of the matter is all MLB owners are fabulously wealthy though. What separates Cohen is his willingness to spend. Research by The Score showed the club’s 2024 payroll exceeded their revenue, so the Mets operated at a loss. Odds are the Mets didn’t actually lose money this year and there’s some fancy accounting going on, but every team uses the same tricks, and the Mets were the only team to outspend their revenue.

Soto wants to win. In fact, he asked teams about their commitment to winning during their meetings this month. Spending money does not automatically equal winning, but it certainly helps. Cohen is willing to spend. That means money in Soto’s pocket (he’s going to do just fine wherever he goes) and also a quality roster around him. If the Mets sign Soto, Cohen won’t restrict spending on the rest of the roster the way some other owners might. Ownership is all-in in Flushing.

2. They’re ready to win now

After a sluggish start, the Mets posted baseball’s best record after June 2 (65-38), and they reached the NLCS for the first time since 2015. With a position player core led by MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor and 2024 breakout star Mark Vientos, plus an owner who badly wants to win, there is every reason to believe the Mets will contend in 2025 and the next several years after that.

There’s also this: The Mets have a sneaky old roster, particularly on the position-player side. Vientos and Francisco Alvarez are their only locked in regulars in their 20s. Lindor just turned 31. Brandon Nimmo turns 32 in March. Jeff McNeil turns 33 in April. Starling Marte just turned 36. Kodai Senga will be 32 on Opening Day and Edwin Díaz will be 31. In baseball years, this group is getting a little long in the tooth. There is some urgency to win right away. It’s what Soto wants and he would help accomplish that.

3. There’s a giant hole in the middle of the lineup

Homegrown slugger Pete Alonso is a free agent, but even before that, there was a bit of a void in the middle of New York’s lineup. Things thinned out quickly after their top 5-6 lineup spots in October. Using only players under contract or team control, the Mets’ lineup currently looks like this:

1. SS Francisco Lindor
2. 2B Jeff McNeil
3. 1B Mark Vientos
4. LF Brandon Nimmo
5. DH Starling Marte
6. C Francisco Alvarez
7. CF Jose Siri
8. RF Tyrone Taylor
9. 3B Brett Baty

Now, obviously there is still close to an entire offseason to play out before spring training, but gosh, wouldn’t that lineup look a heck of a lot better with Soto in right field and in the No. 2 lineup spot? This is much, much more formidable:

1. SS Francisco Lindor
2. RF Juan Soto
3. 1B Mark Vientos
4. LF Brandon Nimmo
5. DH Starling Marte
6. 2B Jeff McNeil
7. C Francisco Alvarez
8. CF Jose Siri
9. 3B Brett Baty

Chances are the Mets will bring in a first or third baseman to further beef up their lineup, perhaps even re-signing Alonso. Point is, the Mets really need another middle-of-the-order bat. They need pitching too. Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, and Jose Quintana were their top three in innings in 2024 and all three are free agents. They’ll get the pitching sorted out. Offensively, Soto is exactly what the Mets need. Power, patience, bat-to-ball skills, confidence.

For the Mets, making the largest offer feels imperative because trying to sell Soto on things like legacy and tradition just isn’t going to work. The Yankees can offer all those same things, only to a greater extent, plus he’s familiar with the organization. Cohen’s largess will have to be the separator for the Mets. The on-field fit is obvious though. The Mets badly need Soto. They need Soto much more than Soto needs the Mets, and Cohen’s offer will have to reflect that.