Rest of MLB throws dirt on Yankees grave with absolutely brutal Juan Soto poll

If the New York Mets were going to win the Juan Soto sweepstakes, there was reason to believe that they were going to have to heavily outbid the field to land him. That isn't exactly what ended up happening. While they did outbid the New York Yankees and the other interested teams, they didn't outbid them by an amount that'd blow many away, especially since he was signing a deal worth at least $760 million regardless of which New York team he chose.

Money played a factor, obviously, but more went into Soto's decision than just the cold hard cash. The perks Steve Cohen offered him that the Yankees refused to match certainly helped, but at the end of the day, Soto seemed to really believe in the direction that this Mets organization is headed in. He said so at his introductory press conference.

Was this the right decision, though? Sure, the Mets just made a surprising run to the NLCS, but they also had a losing record in 2023. On the flip side, the Yankees won the AL Pennant this past season (thanks in large part to Soto's heroics) and haven't finished with a losing record in a season since 1992. For reference, the Mets won their most recent World Series six years prior. The Yankees have won four in seven appearances since their last losing season.

While it might seem like an outrageous claim on paper to believe in the Mets' future more than the Yankees, a poll of 14 team officials and agents conducted by Joel Sherman of the NY Post (subscription required) who responded appeared to believe that Soto made the right decision.

"Of the 14 team officials/agents who responded, nine took the Mets, four the Yankees and one said both teams will be in the top five in the majors for the next five years. Naturally, you may get different responses from a different 14-person subset — this is hardly scientific."

Whether it's due to David Stearns, Steve Cohen's wallet, or a combination of both, nine of the 14 individuals who responded took the Mets. It wasn't even close in regard to whose future is brighter.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.

Juan Soto believes Mets future is brighter than Yankees, and he might be right

It isn't so hard to see why Soto believes this. Do the Yankees have the better roster right now? Probably. Adding Max Fried and Devin Williams after Soto's departure only strengthens their case. Still, are they in the best position to win long-term? This wasn't just a five-year deal Soto signed. He inked a 15-year deal with the Mets. His deal with the Yankees would've been for 16 years.

Aaron Judge (32), Giancarlo Stanton (35), Gerrit Cole (34), Max Fried (30), and Carlos Rodon (32), arguably the five most important players on the Yankees roster, are all 30 years old or older. A similar argument can be made against the Mets, who have Francisco Lindor (31), Brandon Nimmo (31), Kodai Senga (31), and Edwin Diaz (30) on their roster, but there are separators. First of all, the Mets farm system is a whole lot better than that of the Yankees. Second, the Mets have Steve Cohen. Third, the Mets have David Stearns.

Often times when signing a player to a deal worth $765 million, it'd hamstring them. There's reason to believe that, based on Hal Steinbrenner's comments, Soto would've been the only big-name addition for them the entire offseason. The fact that he refused to entertain signing Blake Snell before Soto signed would seemingly back that up. There's little reason to believe that the Yankees would've added Fried and Williams had they re-signed Soto. The Mets, though, operate differently.

“Other teams would sign Soto and it would prevent them from doing other things. This does not prevent anything else [for the Mets]. This is similar to early George Steinbrenner [before other owners understood the full appeals of free agency], because he desperately wanted to make the Yankees winners after they had been losers for so long.”

Signing Juan Soto is a win for the Mets, despite the money

Signing Soto is a big win for the Mets, but there's more work to be done. Based on the variety of players in free agency and on the trade market that the Mets have been linked to post-Soto, moves will be made.

“On the surface, the Yankees should be better the next five years, but I’m not sure you beat the creativity of Stearns and the bottomless competitiveness of Cohen,” an AL executive said. “The Mets seem to have the ability and willingness to risk more than the Yankees. If I were picking, my heart would probably pick the Yankees because they are the Yankees, but my head says the Mets.”

The Yankees will always be competitive, but this is about winning several World Series. The Mets' vision is one many can get behind with that goal in mind.

Cohen's competitiveness, combined with Stearns' shrewdness, makes for one heck of a team. In what was supposed to be a transition year, the Mets had the highest luxury tax payroll in the sport thanks to Cohen's competitiveness, and found several bargains thanks to Stearns' shrewdness. With both of them locked in for the long haul, why wouldn't Soto buy in? Not every big-money move Cohen signs off on or risk Stearns takes will work out, but they have the resources to try until something sticks, and the track record to believe it won't take long to field a sustainable winner.

“There’s more attraction with the Mets than with the Yankees,” an NL executive said. “The Mets are on an upward trajectory, where the Yankees are probably at their ceiling, even with Fried. I get why [Soto] signed with the Mets. The Yankees are always going to be the Yankees. They’re very good, but there’s also staleness to the organization.”

The Yankees are what they are. Their history is unmatched. They've even found ways to win recently in a way few teams can match. However, they haven't won the World Series in 15 years now. Their core is old, their owner isn't nearly as aggressive, and there isn't much in the pipeline to get excited about. Wearing the pinstripes might not mean as much to some as it once did. The Mets, however, are on an upward trajectory. They have an exciting core, an improving farm system, one of the best president of baseball operations individuals in the game, and perhaps most importantly, an owner willing to spend whatever it takes to win.

Money played a huge role, obviously, but if Soto thought he'd be miserable, he wouldn't have signed with the Mets. Clearly, he believes in the vision, and the poll results would suggest he made the right choice.