Mets get best possible Juan Soto news all thanks to Steve Cohen, cheap Yankees

The New York Mets could be closing in on a big splash in the form of the top free agent on the market this winter, Juan Soto. While four teams remain in the mix for Soto, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Mets are largely viewed as the favorites thanks to owner Steve Cohen.

Cohen hired David Stearns to oversee baseball operations, and make the Mets a sustainable organization. However, as it pertains to Soto, Cohen must get this done the old-fashioned way. When offers come into play Cohen has an edge the Yankees and others simply cannot match.

"The Mets are the clear-cut favorite, executives say, simply because they don’t believe there’s a soul who will outbid owner Steve Cohen, while Yankees have a price in mind that they don’t want to exceed," Nightengale wrote in his Monday column.

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New York Mets have an edge for Juan Soto

That bit of info might not sound like much, but it could come into play down the line. Basically, the Yankees don't want to surpass the number they have in mind, while the Mets will hand Soto and Scott Boras a blank check. Advantage, Mets.

Even better news for New York is their remaining competition is down to four teams. Per Nightengale, the Phillies have yet to engage with Soto in any way, and the Los Angeles Dodgers aren't to be taken seriously. The Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees are the only other teams deemed to be real threats for the best player on the free-agent market.

Nightengale also taps into the Jays desperation for a big splash, calling them the 'most likely to overspend' at the winter meetings. That doesn't sound like a long-term destination for Soto if he's well-advised. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have spent the last two weeks bragging to anyone within earshot about how much money the front office plans on spending. As long as John Henry and Fenway Sports Group are in charge, we'll believe it when we see it.

The Soto sweepstakes is far from over, but we've reached a critical point in negotiations – just weeks before the Winter Meetings – and the Mets have pulled ahead. Fans are right to be excited.