This winter, the New York Mets will be making some changes, but will one of those be adding one of the best young players in Major League Baseball?
The Mets, who have the largest payroll in Major League Baseball, had a turbulent 2023 season that saw them narrowly miss the playoffs. As a result, they will need to make some big roster changes this offseason.
This winter, Mets owner Steven Cohen plans to spend a lot of money retooling the team, but not every elite player available will be a good fit for New York.
When asked if the Mets would pursue the star outfielder, SNY’s Andy Martino responded on X, saying, “(Juan Soto) does not fit because the Mets are not a Juan Soto away from winning the National League East in 2024.” The time is not right to sell the farm. Thus, no.”
In 162 games for the Padres last season, Soto hit.275 with 68 extra-base hits, including 35 home runs, 109 RBIs, and a.930 OPS (158 OPS+).
Although adding Soto to the Mets lineup would be a huge move, given the circumstances, it wouldn’t make sense from a logistical standpoint.
Entering his final year of arbitration, the 25-year-old slugger would cost the Mets a ton of elite prospects in a trade. It would be a bad investment to give up the organization’s future and shell out an estimated $27 million for one player, according to Spotrac.
Retooling their severely injured pitching staff after losing both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the trade deadline last year should be the Mets’ main priority. 2023 shortcomings for New York won’t be resolved by adding Soto to the lineup.