The Juan Soto Free Agency Sweepstakes has finally reached the next level. After hearing several sales pitches, the 26-year-old outfielder is accepting official offers from interested teams. Will the New York Yankees keep their bat or will he go elsewhere?

Soto had a significant impact on the Bombers in 2024. He was named an All-Star for the fourth time in his career, won his fifth Silver Slugger Award and finished third in voting for the American League MVP Award.

He posted a .989 OPS with 41 home runs, 31 doubles, 109 RBI and 128 runs scored in 157 games. Soto was also a big reason the Yankees reached the World Series for the first time since 2009. In 14 postseason games, the slugger hit .327/.469/.633 with four home runs, nine RBI and 12 runs scored.

Soto is a generational talent. Combine that with his age, and it’s no surprise he’ll get a contract worth $600 million. But how much exactly will he get and who will he play for? Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith joined the long line of predictions by sharing thoughts on an episode of his podcast “At The Letters.”

“My last Soto projection, just to keep it here: $675 (million) over 15 (years) to the Mets on Dec. 15,” he said.

While Shohei Ohtani signed for $700 million last winter, that’s a number we don’t often see in free agency. The Mets have also been linked to Soto for months, and this is the first real bidding war they’ve had with the Yankees since Steve Cohen bought the team in 2020.

Even though the Mets are considered the “clear favorite” by some baseball executives, moving him from the Bronx to Queens would turn the baseball world upside down. The Yankees don’t appear to be going down without a fight, however, as they have reportedly increased their initial offer for the left-hander.

It will be fascinating to watch how this all plays out, which will likely happen in the next week or so leading up to the Winter Meetings.

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