Juan Soto asking price will make David Stearns put Steve Cohen’s money where his mouth is

The New York Mets had a 2024 season to remember, going from a team not many expected to come close to competing for a postseason berth, to finishing their year just two wins away from winning the NL Pennant. Coming up short of the ultimate goal is never ideal, but the Mets have a lot to be proud of.

Now, while the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers duke it out in the World Series, the Mets will have to reluctantly shift their focus to the offseason.

Deciding what they'll want to do with their many upcoming free agents will be David Stearns' first task, but very soon after, New York will have its eyes set on the free agency pool at large. Stearns even hinted at the Mets having tons of money at their disposal to spend this winter.

"The entirety of the player universe is potentially accessible to us," Stearns said. "That's an enormous opportunity. I envision us taking advantage of that opportunity and being aggressive in certain spaces."

Stearns' statement was obviously pretty vague, but it also feels clear that he's hinting at the Mets making a run at some of the top free agents on the board. While players like Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, and Pete Alonso make a whole lot of sense for the Mets, Juan Soto is in a whole other stratosphere. He's the kind of player that the Mets absolutely should and will pursue.

While it's a no-brainer for the Mets to make a run at signing Soto away from their crosstown rivals in the Bronx, that move would not come cheap. In an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic gave an idea of just how expensive Soto's new deal will be.

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Juan Soto's asking price will make Mets put their money where their mouth is

Rosenthal believes that Soto'a average annual value will begin with a five. That means Soto will be making at minimum $50 million per year annually. On a 10-year deal, that means Soto will make $500 million. On a 15-year deal, that jumps up to $750 million.

With Soto turning 26 years old on Friday — the day that the World Series begins — a 15-year deal can't be ruled out. That deal would take him through his age 40 season, which is not unheard of for a position player. The only reason that 15-year deals are so uncommon is because players as good as Soto don't ever hit free agency at only 26 years old.

Soto has accomplished just about everything except win a regular season MVP award, yet he's finished as an MVP runner-up before. He's on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and has yet to reach his prime.

Do the Mets really have "the entirety of the player universe" accessible to them? Making a serious run at Soto will determine that. There's no doubt that the Mets will show interest in the other high-end free agents, but Soto is in his own tier. Will Steve Cohen be willing to spend that much? Will David Stearns be comfortable going that high when there are other needs on this team? The answer to those questions will determine whether the Mets do actually have access to the entirety of the player universe.