Yankees meeting with Juan Soto included Mets betrayal and more Steve Cohen can't match

Thus far, every meeting with Juan Soto has sounded like a good one. Soto is the most talented player on the MLB free-agent market and thus, should receive an offer to his liking. Scott Boras is his agent, and unlike last winter, the prevailing thought is Boras's top client will sign at the MLB Winter Meetings. That is all great news for the viewing public, as well as the rest of the free-agent crop anxiously awaiting for the proverbial floodgates to open.

Soto has met with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and (soon) the Phillies. There could be more teams on that list, as there is no lack of interest in the 26-year-old. Money will eventually be the prevailing factor in which team lands Soto – or how much capital Soto is willing to give up for the right situation – but the first round of meetings was scheduled to discuss everything but capital.

The Yankees handled this portion of the Soto meetings quite well. New York brought in Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman, Randy Levine, Aaron Boone and even Omar Minaya, who ironically enough is a former New York Mets general manager and current special advisor to the Yankees.

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Did the Yankees pitch land with Juan Soto?

Per NJ.com's Bob Klapisch, the Yankees meeting with Soto went well. Frankly, it should have, as the Yankees have the advantage of time. Soto played for New York this past season and won the AL Pennant. Soto is looking for a commitment to winning long-term, and the Yankees have already shown they are willing to do just that, even if they fell just short of their ultimate goal.

Per Kapisch, "Each member of the hierarchy had an opportunity to address Soto directly, emphasizing the strong relationship the slugger has with his Yankees teammates, the fans and the city at large."

While the Mets in particular can match many of the same talking points, something they do not have is an international brand the size of the Yankees. Don't get me wrong, Steve Cohen is working on that. But the Yankees already possess it. Any ballpark Aaron Judge and Soto traveled to this past season was packed with Yankees fans – as well as opposing supporters eager to watch them lose. The Mets are merely...the Mets, though the franchise has plenty of promise.

At the end of the day, these perceived advantages will only get the Yankees so far. If Soto valued his time in the Bronx as much as Steinbrenner and Co. think, then he will stay put. If not, there are plenty of other franchises willing to pay him his worth.