Mets 'Hopeful' to Sign Juan Soto After Productive Meeting

The Mets are feeling good about their chances of landing the offseason's golden goose.

Oct 28, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) before playing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Mets are one of the favorites to sign superstar outfielder Juan Soto — and they now have even more reason for optimism.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Mets' owner Steve Cohen and other high-ranking officials (such as president of baseball operations David Stearns and field manager Carlos Mendoza) met with the 26-year-old outfielder and agent Scott Boras on Saturday; the arranged meeting took place in Newport Beach, California.

While details are limited, all signs point to the meeting being successful and the Mets' position as a favorite for Soto being reinforced.

"Word is the Mets presentation was a 'big production' and 'very detailed'," Heyman wrote. "One person suggested the Mets are 'hopeful' — and maybe even optimistic — about their chances to win easily the biggest prize of this free-agent class."

https://t.co/mLcnCoruVh. POST EXCLUSIVE: Full story now here on Mets California confab Saturday with Juan Soto, which went very well by all accounts (and I’m not just saying that!)

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 17, 2024

It is currently unknown if any team that has met with Soto — the Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, or Boston Red Sox — made any official contract offers. Regardless, the Dominican phenom is effectively guaranteed to become the highest-paid position player in MLB history. Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani currently holds the record after signing a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but most of that money is being deferred (thus making it valued at $470 million at most); Soto's expected deal can reach $600 million or maybe that historic $700 million figure in value, but without any deferments.

The Mets' biggest competition for Soto is their cross-town rivals, the Yankees, who Soto played with in 2024; they are scheduled to meet with the outfielder on Monday. While they have advantages such as familiarity and (in all likelihood) meeting last, and are equally as motivated to sign the superstar, the Mets have significant advantages of their own. Cohen's near-bottomless wallet is the biggest, of course, but having a rapidly-emerging playoff contender with over $150 million coming off the books certainly helps their case.

With star first baseman Pete Alonso also hitting free agency, alongside gobs of pitching talent (Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, among others) ripe for the taking, the Mets are primed to have one of the biggest offseasons in MLB history. However, it's clear that inking Soto to a record-setting contract is at the top of their to-do list.