Insider Believes Juan Soto Will Make Agency Decision by This Date

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Is a decision by free agent superstar Juan Soto on the horizon?
After reports came this week that the slugger was in the process of eliminating teams that have expressed interest in him, Soto may make his much-anticipated decision very soon about where he may end up next season and beyond; the New York Mets and Yankees are right in the mix as finalists.
According to ESPN's MLB Insider Jeff Passan, the 26-year-old outfielder's decision about where will play could come by December 9 at the latest, when the MLB Winter Meetings get underway in Dallas.
Jeff Passan on Juan Soto:
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 5, 2024
"We know at this point that the final number is going to be at least $600 million... We could see a contract potentially in excess of $700 million."
"We will know (Soto's decision), at latest, by the time the Winter Meetings in Dallas start (Dec. 9)." pic.twitter.com/yKSPJ4q9nN
"We know at this point that the final number is going to be at least $600 million... We could see a contract potentially in excess of $700 million," Passan said. "We will know (Soto's decision), at latest, by the time the Winter Meetings in Dallas start (Dec. 9)."
Passan is also reporting that Soto's contract could potentially exceed north of $700 million, which would surpass Shohei Ohtani's $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason.
Soto was dealt to the Yankees from the San Diego Padres last December, and is coming off a great season during his walk year in the Bronx. The outfielder slashed .288/.419/.569 and had a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBI in 157 regular season games; Soto also helped send the Bronx Bombers to their first World Series since 2009.
With Steve Cohen proving in the past that he is willing to spend on premier free agents since becoming the Mets' owner in 2020, will his potential record-breaking contract offer be enough for Soto to take his talents to Flushing, Queens?

Logan VanDine is a contributing writer for On SI's Mets. Logan is a graduate of Rider University where he majored in Sports Media and minored in Sports Studies. During his time at Rider, Logan worked for Rider's radio station, 107.7 The Bronc as a sports host, producer and broadcaster, and for the school's paper: The Rider News. He began his time with The Rider News as a section writer for sports and was a copy editor for two years followed by being one of the sports editors during his senior year. Logan also placed third in the New Jersey Press Foundation Awards for sports feature writing. Aside from his work at On SI, he is also a writer for FanSided covering the New York Giants and Mets and also covers the Giants for Total Apex Sports. Give him a follow on X: @VandineLogan