Juan Soto could make Mets fans hate him even more with rumored free-agent destination

The New York Mets know Juan Soto too well. After all, he did begin his career with the rival Washington Nationals. Soto is one of MLB's elite hitters and he is set to become a free agent at the end of this offseason. With that being the case, the Mets are expected to be big players for Soto. The team does have an owner in Steve Cohen who's not afraid to shell out big money to add top talent to the team.

Of course, the Mets will have to hope that Soto won't be swayed by Hal Steinbrenner and the Yankees to stay long-term, after the team acquired him from the San Diego Padres this past offseason. But there is one team that the Mets should be wary of, and it's one of their most hated rivals.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post listed "obvious potential outside suitors" for Soto next offseason -- and one of them is the Philadelphia Phillies.

Phillies listed as 'obvious potential outside suitor' for Juan Soto

That would be a nightmare scenario for the Mets, who are also listed in that category alongside the Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox. However, there is a catch in Heyman's article.

The MLB insider said that there's "some rival GMs" who are wondering if there is even a legitimate chance of Soto leaving the Yankees. In fact, one rival general manager asked Heyman "He's got to be staying, no?"

The Yankees have shown a willingness to pay big bucks for premier players. Look at the Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge contracts. Even though Steinbrenner did say he would like to cut payroll, the Yankees have players like Anthony Rizzo, Clay Holmes, and Gleyber Torres, whose salaries all come off the books after the season, so there would be room to fit a gigantic contract for Soto. But we won't know what Soto will do until the offseason.

Philadelphia has shown they will pay top dollar for the best players to suit up for them. After all, they did land Bryce Harper and JT Realmuto in 2019 and even landed Trea Turner on an 11-year, $300 million contract after the 2022 season. We can't rule them out of the Soto sweepstakes, especially with Heyman listing them as a suitor for the 2024 AL MVP contender.

It's bad enough for Mets fans that Soto is on the Yankees. Imagine the star on the Phillies?