Inside The Mets

Mets Have 'Heavy Interest' in Signing Another Ex-Yankees Standout, per Insider

One day after signing Juan Soto, the New York Mets are preparing a play for another former Yankees player.
Grant Young|
Mar 28, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga (43) during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Mar 28, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga (43) during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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The New York Mets turned the baseball world on its head on December 8 when they signed 26-year-old generational talent Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract, which is the largest contract in sports history.

The deal (which includes an opt-out after the fifth season, a $75 million signing bonus, and no deferred money) shatters the previous largest contract in sports history, which was set by Shohei Ohtani's heavily deferred 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason.

Despite this enormous contract, all indications are that the Mets are far from finished when it comes to adding more pieces to their roster. In fact, a December 9 article from ESPN asserted that they might not even be done taking players from their cross-town rivals.

"Right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga is drawing heavy interest from several teams, including the New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Blue Jays, a source told ESPN," wrote insider Jorge Castillo.

"The 30-year-old reliever is expected to land a big league contract after undergoing surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in April. Injuries have held Loáisiga to 20 appearances over the past two seasons, including three in 2024 before undergoing the elbow procedure, but his electric stuff, headlined by a 98 mph sinker, makes him an attractive bullpen weapon for clubs expecting to contend," Castillo continued.

As if the Mets hadn't already done enough to the Yankees by signing Soto, taking Loáisiga on top of that would only add insult to injury — which Mets fans would relish.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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