Steve Cohen really wanted Juan Soto and said he wouldn't be outbid for him. So, it should come as no surprise then that he got his man. Mets fans are understandably giddy about the signing, as they should be. Soto's a great player. Congratulations to them and congratulations to Steve Cohen. Congratulations also to Soto on signing a contract guaranteeing him a ridiculous amount of money.
Soto going to the Mets always seemed like the most likely scenario, especially since Cohen was willing to overpay for him. And, yes, he overpaid. Is Soto worth $51 million a year right now? Sure. Will he be worth that much in 2037? Probably not. (Although, the Mets are at least actually paying him $51 million a year instead of doing that stupid deferred money crap the Dodgers somehow keep getting away with.)
But with an owner who was essentially handing Soto a blank check and Scott Boras as an agent, it would've been a surprise if he didn't take the money. He would've been stupid not to. So, I don't begrudge Juan Soto at all. I obviously would've loved to see him stay in pinstripes, but I had also made my peace with the fact that it wasn't likely to happen. Losing Soto isn't the gut punch losing Judge would've been, even if he did go across town. (Had he gone to the Red Sox, it would've been close.) But again, Steven Cohen's unlimited budget is hard to compete against.
The other teams involved in the Soto sweepstakes have to be disappointed. Obviously. But his signing so early gives them plenty of time to pivot. More importantly, the money that was earmarked for Soto can now be spent elsewhere. Soto's a superstar. Those are always nice to have. But that $50 million can now address multiple needs by being spread across 2-3 different players...of which there are plenty to choose from.
With Soto off the board, the market for those other free agents will open up. I'd expect it to heat up pretty quickly, too, now that teams know how much money they have available to spend. Some of those players who were waiting on Soto are perfect fits for the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and/or Dodgers. Those teams likely didn't have the money for them and Soto. Now Soto isn't part of the equation, which opens up many more possibilities.
Let's start with the Yankees. Even if they'd re-signed Soto, they had plenty of other work to do this offseason. They need a starting pitcher. They need an actual closer (not Luke Weaver, and the Mets can have Clay Holmes), as well as other bullpen help. They need a first baseman and another infielder. And, now that they're not keeping Soto, they need an outfielder, too. Don't be surprised if the additions they make in those spots are better than they otherwise would've been now that they have extra money to spend.
They've been linked to both Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, the two best starting pitchers still available. Even while still pursuing Soto, the expectation was that the Yankees would go after Christian Walker to play first base. Although, wouldn't it be crazy if they ended up signing Pete Alonso away from the Mets!? But now they can also make a run at some others. Alex Bregman to play third? Teoscar Hernandez to play left? A trade for Cody Bellinger, who can play either center or first? It's all on the table now!
Fried's market is apparently down to the Yankees and Red Sox. Boston's also reportedly in on Bregman. Although, that, frankly, doesn't make much sense to me since they've got so much committed to Devers, who's their franchise player. They'll also likely make a push for either Hernandez or Anthony Santander to fill the outfield spot they envisioned going to Soto.
Toronto had a grand vision of Juan Soto playing right field for them, as well, even though him signing with the Blue Jays never seemed likely. They swung big for Ohtani last winter, too, and you'd have to figure they'll throw their hat in the ring every time a big-name free agent becomes available moving forward...including their own Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Now they're in a much better position to retain Vladito, their franchise player, when he becomes a free agent after next season. In the short term, I can also see them bringing back former Blue Jay Teoscar Hernandez, who's become an All-Star and World Series champion since leaving Toronto.
Or Hernandez could stay with the Dodgers. They put in a bid for Soto, but I think that was partly just for show and partly to drive the price up. The Dodgers actually made the first big move of the winter when they signed Blake Snell to a five-year deal (with Snell no doubt wanting to avoid a similar situation to last offseason, when he had to wait until Spring Training before landing a one-year deal with the Giants). And they're the Dodgers, so you know they're not done. Don't be surprised if they get in on Roki Sasaki. I also have no idea where the Dodgers would've even put Juan Soto since their entire team seemingly consists of starting pitchers, outfielders and Freddie Freeman!
As for the Mets, Soto was both a big want and a big get. I don't want to say he was a "need," but he's certainly an upgrade over anybody else they could've put in right field. More importantly, he's a franchise player. Along with Francisco Lindor, he's the player the Mets will build around for the next 15 years (or at least the next five). With the Mets, Soto will get to be THE Man. That wouldn't have been the case in the Bronx. The Yankees are Judge's team.
Even though this is a team that reached the NLCS without Juan Soto last season, I can't necessarily say adding him necessarily pushes them over the top. The Mets might not even be the best team in the NL East. Soto brings them closer to the Phillies and Braves, but they, too, have more work to do this offseason. And it's not like the Dodgers are going anywhere, either. We know Steve Cohen has an unlimited budget, so we'll see how aggressive he is the rest of the winter. Because there are other holes the Mets need to fill.
J.D. Martinez is likely gone as a result of the Soto signing. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up losing Pete Alonso now, too, since other suitors will be able to offer him more (there are also luxury tax concerns that they should care about, even though we know Cohen doesn't). And starting pitching is always an adventure for the Mets. This offseason has been no different. So, even after they got their guy, they've still got plenty to do.
Almost a year to the day after Ohtani's record deal, Juan Soto became the highest-paid player in baseball history. That was just the start of what promises to be a busy offseason. While we won't see another deal that comes anywhere close to the one Soto signed, now the fun really starts. The Winter Meetings got off to a flashy start with the biggest fish coming off the board right off the bat. Now it's everybody else's turn.
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