A FORMER MLB player has claimed that Juan Suto will join a rival of the New York Yankees.
Soto, who played for the New YorkYankees in 2024, is posted to receive an extension over $600 million, but the latest claim has the 26-year-old earning a $700 million deal.
Ex-MLB player Carlos Baerga shared on social media that he’s heard chatter that Soto will sign a $700 million deal with the Yankees crosstown rivals, the New York Mets.
“Well my people, these messages are coming directly. I think Juan Soto will sign with the NY Mets and it is about 700 million, my people,” Baerga said on Tuesday night.
He also shared an update that new Mets center fielder Jose Siri said he would give up his No. 22 jersey for Soto if he landed on the team.
Still, there has yet to be confirmation from Soto or the Mets, who are in the mix along with other teams including the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Toronto Blue Jays.
Baerga played for the Mets from 1996 to 1998.
He retired from the MLB in 2005 and has since worked as an analyst on ESPN’s Spanish baseball coverage.
Soto is a free agent after playing the 2024 campaign with the Yankees, who lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
The lefty clobbered 41 home runs in the regular season for the Yankees and was part of a powerful 2-3 punch in the batting order with Aaron Judge.
If Soto picks the Mets, the Yankees could elect to sign former Mets slugger Pete Alonso, who is also a free agent.
The Yankees need first-base help after declining a club option with Anthony Rizzo.
Last season, the Mets made the NLCS and lost to the Dodgers in six games.
They overcame a horrific start to the campaign and had the third-worst record in the MLB in June.
Soto trolled fans on Tuesday with an announcement on Instagram, with the caption, “The announcement you have been waiting for.”
His announcement turned out to be a deal to promote a deal with the energy drink brand Celcius.
If Yankees fans want optimism when it comes to extending Soto, they can look to the comment section of Soto’s Instagram post.
The four-time MLB All-Star liked a comment on the post that read, “Juan – you’re stressing me out! New York wants you here #Yankeesforlife #pinstripe pride.”
At this point, Soto reportedly has five formal offers, per NJ.com.
The early bids are used to “gauge genuine interest from all parties,” according to The Athletic.
The expected second or more rounds of bidding will take place in the first week of December and could linger into the Baseball Winter Meetings which occurs from December 8 to 14.
If Soto were to sign a deal over $600 million, he would obtain, at minimum, the second-largest U.S. contract in all of professional sports.
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani received the largest sports contract in U.S. history last year, agreeing to a 10-year, $700 million deal.