Report: New York Mets to 'Explore' Trade for Juan Soto
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It won't be cheap or easy to land superstar Juan Soto, who the Washington Nationals have made available after he rejected their recent 15-year, $440 million extension offer.
Although it seems like a pipe dream that Nationals GM Mike Rizzo would ever trade Soto to an NL East rival, the Mets will at least attempt to explore a possible deal.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Mets, along with the Yankees, will both look into a potential trade for Soto.
That said, Heyman listed the Mets at 30-1 odds of landing Soto, given the Nationals are looking for a return that would include the top four prospects from a team's system, young major league talent and could ask a trade partner to take on Patrick Corbin's substantial contract (owed over $60 million through 2024). A Soto trade occurring ahead of the August 2 trade deadline is also seen as unlikely.
Tack on the fact that the Mets are a division rival of the Nationals, along with New York's unwillingness to part with their top prospects, specifically Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty. All of these factors point towards a trade for Soto between the Mets and Nationals being highly unrealistic.
At 23-years-old, Soto is a generational talent and destined to receive the largest contract in baseball history. Regarding whether this comes before or after he hits free agency after the 2024 season remains to be seen.
The Mets are one of the few teams that has the money to dish out a record-setting deal for Soto. While a trade for the young star appears to be very unlikely, New York plans on exploring this avenue - and rightfully so.
Read More:
- What Would it Take for Mets to Land Juan Soto?
- Colin Holderman Developing Into Reliable Bullpen Option for Mets
- Mets Interested in Re-Signing These Pending Free Agents
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