It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for both teams in New York City, but as the MLB postseason approaches it seems there’s a real chance there will be playoff baseball in two boroughs.
The New York Yankees, powered by the Aaron Judge-Juan Soto combo, lead the American League East by two games and are tied for the best record in the league. The New York Mets have made an incredible second-half push for one of the National League wild card spots behind an MVP-caliber season from star shortstop Francisco Lindor. There’s ground to make up yet, as the Mets trail the Atlanta Braves by three games for the final playoff spot, but in somewhat of a rare circumstance, both NYC teams are playing good baseball down the stretch.
Of course, there’s always an eye on next year. Especially in regards to Soto, who was acquired by the Yankees via trade last offseason and will be a free agent after the 2024 season. Despite delivering exactly what the Yanks were hoping for in the form of a .296/.427/.600 slash line with 37 home runs and 95 RBI in 128 games, there is plenty of speculation about whether the Steinbrenner family will give Soto a ludicrous contract when they already have two such deals on the books with Judge and Gerrit Cole.
For his part, Lindor wouldn’t mind at all if Soto decided to move to Queens. Via ESPN’s Jeff Passan:
“When it comes to the outfielder from across our borough,” New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said, “he’s having a fantastic year and I hope he goes out there and breaks every record out there when it comes to getting paid. If it’s with us, it’ll be fantastic. He’ll help us a lot.”
Soto is shaping up to be a very expensive free agent and he could very well break records. It’s nearly impossible to imagine him matching Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers but the creative structure of that deal could open some doors.
The price tag also may not matter to Mets owner Steve Cohen, who boasts a net worth of nearly $20 billion and has made it clear he’s willing to spend nearly all of it to bring winning baseball to Citi Field. Soto would be a good fit for the franchise, the fans would love it if only because it would mean taking a star from the crosstown rivals, and Cohen may very well be willing to sign a blank check. It’s easy to see the vision.
There’s still plenty of baseball to be played first. But certainly a partnership worth thinking about as free agency nears.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Francisco Lindor Addresses Possibility of Juan Soto Joining Mets in Free Agency .
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