The offseason spotlight remains on four-time All-Star and free agent slugger Juan Soto, who the New York Yankees hope to retain. According to a brand new report, the 26-year-old phenom continues to garner interest from the crosstown rival Mets, who have emerged as “the biggest threat” for his services.

MLB.com recently published a list pairing each team with a free agent who would best fit their roster. The MLB star was selected as the ideal match for the Mets, who won 89 games last season and advanced to the NL championship – only to be eliminated by eventual World Series winners, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The report also showed that Mets slugger Pete Alonso was needed in Washington because of the team’s lack of power in the lineup last season. The Mets could use the pairing of Soto and star shortstop Francisco Lindor to rebuild the team around marquee players, similar to his role with the Yankees next to Aaron Judge last season.

MLB’s list praised Soto’s status as a “generational hitter” and highlighted Mets owner Steve Cohen’s “ability to pay whatever he wants” to win the race for the MLB star’s signature. Cohen made Lindor the richest shortstop in baseball following his ten-year extension with the team signed in 2021 worth $341 million.

In 2024, Soto continued the high production he’s known for with the Yankees, batting .288 with 166 hits, 41 home runs, and 109 RBIs. His elite plate discipline, power, baseball IQ, and age make him one of baseball’s elite players, capable of transforming any lineup.

The Mets have the financial flexibility to offer Soto a blockbuster deal in the $600-$700 million range, which some analysts believe will be necessary to secure him. MLB.com noted that the Mets are “all in” to sign former Yankees slugger who said he’d consider each MLB franchise in a carefully explored free agency period.

Juan Soto stands at second base next to Francisco Lindor

The Mets have the finances to lure Soto from the Yankees ( 

Image:

Getty)

The potential tug-of-war between the Yankees and Mets for Soto only fuels the New York Subway Series rivalry. The Yankees hold a 71-51 record against the Mets but lost each of four games against their rivals last season.

For the Yankees, losing Soto to the Mets would be devastating, allowing the outfielder to join an exclusive list of 162 out of over 20,000 players in league history to play for both teams. Notable standouts on the list include Robinson Cano, Carlos Beltran, and David Cone, who all played at least two seasons for each team.

Eight players on the list traded New York teams following the 2023 season. Twins pitcher Michael Tonkin returned to the Mets for a second time in April last season, with the Yankees claiming him off waivers just eight days later. After earning 57 strikeouts in Bronx pinstripes, Tonkin was waived and picked up by the Twins three months later.