Insider Predicts This Rival Will be Biggest Challenge to Yankees For Juan Soto

The Juan Soto sweepstakes will likely come down to the New York Yankees and another rival, predicts this insider.

Aug 31, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a double against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

All eyes will be on superstar Juan Soto as he is set to hit the free agent market this winter and will likely land a historic long-term deal north of $500 million.

Surely the New York Yankees are going to do everything in their power to retain Soto given he is a generational talent and has put up a big season in his first year in pinstripes.

The 25-year-old will be quite expensive, but the Yankees have the funds to keep him, and it would be a devastating blow if they were to lose their star slugger in the offseason.

Luckily for Yankees fans, MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports predicts it will likely come down to these two teams.

"Please, enough with the narrative that the Washington Nationals will try to sign Juan Soto and bring him back to the organization," Nightengale wrote. "He's signing with the New York Yankees or New York Mets, although the Toronto Blue Jays and perhaps San Francisco Giants will at least make an attempt."

Regardless of how their season turns out, the Yankees can't let the Mets swipe Soto from them in what would be the snag of the century.

The Mets of course have billionaire owner Steve Cohen who took a hiatus from big spending this past offseason. But that won't be the case this winter as the Mets have a significant amount of money coming off the books.

That being said, the word is Soto has loved his time in the Bronx. He also has had the opportunity to hit in front of AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge in what has been an all-time combination in the batting order.

Soto will likely go to the highest bidder, but it sounds like that will either be the Yankees or Mets. Given the way this season has played out, the odds seem high that Soto will stay in the Bronx in the long-term.