Yankees Rival's Path to Signing Juan Soto Made Clearer

One of the New York Yankees' biggest rivals has a clear case on why pursuing Juan Soto in free agency makes perfect sense.

Sep 22, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) stands in the dugout before the start of the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have got to be feeling good right now.

They clinched both the AL East and the AL's No. 1 seed in the playoffs with their 10-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. This means that New York's fans can relax and enjoy watching their clearly confident ballclub play three essentially meaningless home games against the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend as the regular season wraps up.

While this may be the last thing Yankees fans want to think about right now, superstar slugger Juan Soto's impending free agency is approaching with each passing day. The good news about this is that the Yankees are widely considered the favorite to sign him.

The bad news is that their cross-town rival New York Mets are the other team considered most likely to acquire Soto. And as Bleacher Report's Erik Beaston explained in a September 27 article, the Mets have a clear incentive to pursue Soto, given one of their player's injury history.

"The cross-town Mets should also be considered players for Soto as they look to build on an extraordinary turnaround this season. Adding his bat would give even more pop to an offense that can score runs early and often, while there is room for him in the outfield alongside Brandon Nimmo," Beaston wrote.

"The questions surrounding the other notable outfielder, Starling Marte, and the knee injury that sidelined and slowed him down in the outfield upon his return only enhance the benefit of Soto."

The Mets may have been less inclined to secure Soto this offseason if the 35-year-old Marte (who, like Soto, plays right field) remained healthy and was producing on par with his career numbers.

But Marte's extended time missed due to injury over the past two seasons, his .710 OPS, and the fact that his contract ends after next season all present a clear path for the Mets to go all-in on making Soto their next right fielder for the foreseeable future.

Prepare for a New York bidding war this offseason.