Latest Juan Soto rumor makes it clear Mets are driving up price as high as necessary

The moment Steve Cohen purchased the New York Mets it was clear he did not want the franchise to take a back seat to anyone. That was especially true when it came to the team's crosstown rivals. If Cohen has his way, he'll ignite a war between the two New York franchises by prying Juan Soto away from the Yankees in free agency.

The Athletic is reporting that the Mets have no intention of being outbid for Soto this offseason.

"The Mets are widely regarded as the favorite for Soto, with many in the industry believing the team’s owner, Steve Cohen, will top any rival bid," Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich wrote.

The report also alleges that a 12-year, $600 million contract is the entry point for negotiations to ink the All-Star outfielder. At the moment, the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers are believed to be the franchises engaged with agent Scott Boras' most prominent client. All teams still in the running have reportedly made offers above the $600 million threshold, but Soto is beginning his process of elimination.

As Juan Soto price tag tops $600 million, Mets remain in pole position

Each team chasing Soto on the open market understands his ability to dominate opposing pitchers as an elite bat in the middle order. His power is obvious with his ability to club home runs to all fields. Soto's patience at the plate is a more subtle skill but is also appreciated by MLB decision-makers. He can help produce runs at an impressive clip in multiple ways.

The Mets might have extra motivation for adding Soto to the heart of their order. Signing him would dominate the news cycle in New York for long stretches of the season. Every win streak the Mets go on would be attributed to Cohen's willingness to spend big money on his payroll. Every losing streak the Yankees endured would be met with scores of stories about how much their lineup misses Soto coupled with the blame the franchise's ownership deserves to shoulder for being outbid for a prime free agent.

It remains to be seen whether the highest bidder will win the race to sign Soto. It's possible he might to give a minimal discount to the franchise he believes will give him the best chance to win a World Series title. It's unlikely Boras will permit his client to offer anyone too steep of a discount. He has a history of maximizing his clients' earnings under any circumstances.

Mets fans should feel encouraged by Cohen's willingness to continue to spend to bring a winner to Queens. They might also have a bit of concern that their team is being leveraged by Boras to drive up the bidding to his most expensive client of the season. Time will tell if Cohen's brazen willingness to outbid the competition will land the biggest free agent of the season.