DALLAS — The Mets are the winners of the Juan Soto sweepstakes.
The outfielder selected the Mets out of the various big-moneyed suiters, coming to phrases with the Amazins’ on a 15-year, $765 million contract on Sunday, one evening earlier than the beginning of baseball’s annual winter conferences. The biggest contract in skilled sports activities historical past, it’s a monumental signing for the 26-year-old Dominican and for the membership.
With the addition of Soto, the Mets are set as much as contend for titles for years to return. He’ll be part of a core group of gamers already on multi-year contracts that features Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Kodai Senga and Edwin Diaz. The pitching employees continues to be being constructed out for the 2025 season with the Mets just lately including former Yankees pitchers Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes, however Soto lends some cache to the Mets as they proceed so as to add expertise for subsequent yr and past.
A generational hitter usually in comparison with Ted Williams, Soto is the kind of free agent the crew by no means would have pursued previously. As a substitute, the Yankees of yesteryear would have thrown cash at him whereas the Mets shopped within the cut price bins, at all times dwelling within the shadows of huge brother within the Bronx. However the shadows have shifted and it’s the Mets who solid the larger one now.
Soto spent final season with the Yankees, serving to them win their first AL pennant since 2009. He was acquired in a commerce with the San Diego Padres for precisely that purpose a yr in the past throughout a winter conferences blockbuster. The Yankees pursued him simply as doggedly because the Mets, however Cohen’s deep pockets and the Mets’ latest success underneath president of baseball operations David Stearns finally received Soto over.
A seven-year veteran who broke into the league at solely 19 years outdated, Soto owns a profession slashline of .285/.421/.532. His on-base share leads all energetic gamers and he’s solely the fourth participant to attract no less than 700 walks by way of their age-26 season. A World Sequence chamo at solely 20 and a batting champ at solely 21, Soto is an completed participant who is aware of tips on how to win.
There are few holes in his offensive sport. His at-bats are theatrical together with his signature “Soto shuffle” and his means to frustrate Cy Younger-caliber pitchers. Statcast had him within the 98th percentile or larger in most offensive classes final season, which is par for the course for the perennial MVP candidate.
A left-handed hitter, he hit .288 with a .989 OPS and a career-best 41 house runs with the Yankees final season, ending third in AL MVP voting. He usually bats second, which provides the Mets a dominant 1-2 punch on the prime of the order with Francisco Lindor hitting leadoff.
There’s, nevertheless, one weak spot in his sport. Regardless of being named a Gold Glove finalist, Soto’s outfield protection charges poorly. Higher in proper area than in left, final yr his minus-5 outs above common ranked thirty eighth out of 44 proper fielders and his minus-1 defensive runs saved had been tied for thirteenth amongst proper fielders who performed no less than 500 innings.
It known as into query the Gold Glove voting course of. The award, which is offered by glove maker Rawling’s, is voted on by managers and coaches and never based mostly on statistical metrics. His route-running was uncovered throughout the World Sequence when a expensive miscue value the Yankees a lead in Sport 1. They finally misplaced to the Los Angeles Dodgers and his protection grew to become much more of a hot-button subject than ever.
The Mets are at the moment carrying veteran proper fielder Starling Marte, one other Dominican Republic native. The 36-year-old has another yr left on his three-year contract and has struggled to remain wholesome over the past two seasons. When wholesome he produced on the plate in 2024, but additionally had declining defensive metrics.
Nevertheless, each Soto and Marte made loads of dynamic defensive performs final yr. The Mets might look to commerce Marte or use him as a DH. Marte dislikes getting used as a DH, preferring to play the sphere, however got here round to doing it when the crew wanted him to.
By becoming a member of the Mets, the previous Washington Nationwide rejoins the NL East. He’ll now face his former crew and a few former teammates in Philadelphia usually, including to some already thrilling rivalries.
Cohen put the Yankees on discover when he entered the league. Not are they thought of the evil empire, it’s the Mets that had the higher playoff exhibiting in opposition to the Dodgers, the Mets with the higher core and a rising farm system, and the Mets with the house owners keen to spend historic cash to convey prime expertise to Queens.
Initially Printed: December 8, 2024 at 10:17 PM EST
