Yankees’ Juan Soto Predicted to Bolt Bronx, Should Be ‘Concerned’

Getty Yankees free agent Juan Soto

We are heading into the home stretch on the Juan Soto free-agency sweepstakes–or, at least, we hope we are. There have been reports that initial contract offers from five teams are in, and that there will be counteroffers and increased bidding over the coming days and weeks.

But there is a good chance that this gets wrapped up before or at the MLB winter meetings, which will begin in Dallas on December 9.

The five teams chasing the 26-year-old slugger in earnest are the Yankees (of course), the Mets, the Red Sox, the Blue Jays and the Dodgers. But in an indication that things will need to get moving, we’ve had the first major free-agent signing of the offseason, with the Dodgers adding former Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

And according to legendary New York media personality Chris Russo, if and when the Soto news comes down, it’s probably not going to be good for the Yanks.

Juan Soto Should Be ‘Concerned’ About Return to Yankee Stadium

That’s because, as Russo said on the New York Post baseball podcast, “The Show,” he sees Soto staying in New York but heading to Queens to play for the Mets and very, very wealthy owner Steve Cohen, who is reportedly prepared to best all offers for Soto by $50 million.

Cohen was deeply involved in the Mets’ meeting with Soto last week.

“I think [Steve Cohen] felt that he set the table well with his team talking to Soto,” Russo said via the Post. “So I think maybe right now the Mets are the leading clubhouse contender and that, as you said, we’ll find out about everybody else.”

“I thought he’d be signed with the Yankees. But I got a funny feeling he might go to the Mets.”

It’s not over, of course. The Yankees could yet reel Soto back in. There is no question he loved playing at the Stadium this season, but if he leaves, he’d quickly be top villain for backers of the Bombers.

“I’ll give the Mets the edge right now, sort of halfway through the process, I’ll give the Mets the edge,” Russo said. “If I was Soto, I’d be a little concerned about playing those four games at Yankee Stadium when he signed with the Mets because he’s going to get booed for leaving the Yankees to go to the Mets.”