According to a New York radio personality, the Mets have a better chance of signing Yankees slugger Juan Soto. Soto may be playing himself into a contract extension with the Mets. That’s what Don La Greca of ESPN New York said on “The Michael Kay Show” on Monday.
With Soto enjoying (and prospering) in the pressure cooker that is New York City, it appears that the 6-foot-2 southpaw will remain. But, given Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner’s approaching fiscal restrictions and the Mets’ dismal season, the long-time radio broadcaster feels Soto may have little choice but to go to Queens.
“The Yankees will have a budget, Peter. “They’re simply going to,” La Greca told cohost Peter Rosenberg. “And if it becomes absurd, to the point where you’re talking about $60 million or more each year, I believe the Yankees will give up. And the more humiliating the Mets are, the more chaos there is, and the more they lose, Steve Cohen may be willing to go above and above with the money.”
The Mets are 25-35 after 60 games and sit fourth in the NL East, 16 1/2 games out of first place.
According to FanGraphs, their current playoff odds are 9.9%, down from 29.9% on Opening Day. At this rate, the organization appears to be on track to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year in owner Steve Cohen’s fourth season.
Meanwhile, the Yankees have found a new gear with Soto on the roster. They have the greatest record (42-19) and the highest run differential (107) in baseball, and the Dominican slugger is a huge reason why.
Soto leads the AL in hitting average (.322) and OPS (1.031), trailing only teammate Aaron Judge (1.075). At this pace, Soto appears to be in line for baseball’s second-highest contract, following Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million deal in December 2023.
