Mets' Division Rival Plans to Meet With Juan Soto

The Mets won't be the only team in the NL East that will bid for the free agent slugger.

Oct 29, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after a strike out against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth inning during game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

It goes without saying that the New York Mets are one of the frontrunners in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

The Mets' chances have continued to increase after a productive meeting with the 26-year-old slugger on Saturday; numbers of a potential contract offer may have been leaked as well, with New York willing to pay as much as $660 million for Soto's services (according to Carlos Baerga).

However, the Mets won't be the only NL East team bidding for the superstar outfielder, as one of their most hated rivals is about to throw their hat in the ring.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Philadelphia Phillies plan on arranging a sitdown with Soto and agent Scott Boras. If a meeting is arranged, the reigning NL East champion will expand the list of Soto's suitors to six teams; the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Mets, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers are the five previous teams to meet with Soto.

The Phillies haven’t met with Juan Soto yet but they plan to. Not many teams want to win more than them.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 19, 2024

Heyman stated that "not many teams want to win more than [the Phillies]", and the Mets themselves may be responsible for that. The Phillies made an unexpected run to the World Series in 2022, falling to the Houston Astros in six games; the next year, they were upset by the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games in the NLCS. 2024 saw Philadelphia's strongest team yet as they claimed the division, but the Mets knocked them out in the NLDS, which was the first-ever playoff meeting between the fierce rivals.

Having fallen short in frustrating fashion the past two years, it makes sense for the Phillies to be in the Soto sweepstakes; adding a generational bat like his could be what pushes them over the top.

However, the Mets have a huge advantage over their hated rival due to the significant difference in financial wiggle room. New York has over $150 million coming off the books, which gives them near-limitless room to operate when coupled with owner Steve Cohen's seemingly-infinite wealth. On the other hand, Philadelphia is just $13 million away from triggering the top luxury tax threshold due to contracts given to Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Aaron Nola, and more. Luxury tax penalties would additionally result in the Phillies effectively paying twice the cost of Soto's salary if they were to sign him.

Not helping the Phillies' case are the words of principal owner John Middleton, who believes Soto wants to play in New York (whether he's referring to the Mets or the cross-town Yankees isn't clear).

"I don’t mind being a stalking horse," Middleton said. "At some point, if Dave [Dombrowski] and I get that feeling, we’ll probably say, ’You know what, we’re not going to win this’ because we’ve both been the stalking horse before."

Ultimately, the Mets need to be wary that their top target in free agency is on the radar of their hated foe, but shouldn't be too worried due to the significant financial advantage they hold over them.