What the Mets and Yankees can offer Juan Soto besides the gobsmacking money
We get it: This hasn’t been declared a two-team race, not yet anyway.The Blue Jays have enough cash on hand to be players for Juan Soto.
The Phillies insist they are.The Dodgers are the Dodgers.
And we are certain to be entertained by the annual appearance of “mystery teams” who come out to play whenever Scott Boras is shopping a client.But for now, let’s pretend it is.We know the Mets are getting a meeting with Juan Soto this week.
We know the Yankees are getting a meeting with Soto next week.So let’s start there.
And let’s start with this, too: Forget the money, because if it really is only about who offers a couple nickels more, where’s the fun in this debate?We can agree on this: Wherever he goes, Soto is not going to leave very much, if anything, on the table.So from here, let’s take a look, 440 words per team, as to what the Mets and Yankees can both offer Soto to make his decision easier.
Since the Yankees are the incumbents, let us start in The Bronx.We need to take it easy on the history and the tradition aspect of this.If history and tradition were going to be major parts of the equation, Soto likely would’ve signed on already.History and tradition are the playgrounds of fans and nostalgic sportswriters.
It is likely Soto was impressed with the way Yankee Stadium constantly reminds you that Babe Ruth played here (technically, across the street) and Lou Gehrig played here, and Derek Jeter.It is likely to be entirely beside the point.What the Yankees’ most valuable asset is, is this:The here and now.For now, and for each of the next seven years, Soto will be in the same lineup as Aaron Judge.
Sometimes, we theorize about things in sports, especially if you’re just shooting the breeze in a saloon: What if Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky had ever been able to play together? What if Tom Seaver had ever pitched to Ted Williams? In 2024, we saw one of those hypotheticals spring to life:What if Juan Soto and Aaron Judge were back-to-back i...