The Juan Soto sweepstakes ultimately – and perhaps predictably – came down to the New York Mets vs. the New York Yankees.
Mets owner Steve Cohen was determined to prevail, but had no idea what the final result would be until he heard it directly from Soto.
‘I was being logical. When you have (Aaron) Judge, it’s tough to beat that,’ Cohen told the New York Post. ‘Juan was great. But what they had … I didn’t know how to solve that.’
Judge and Soto combined for 99 home runs last season, finishing first and third in the American League MVP balloting as the Yankees advanced to their first World Series since 2009. But the Mets had a great season as well, reaching the National League championship series in what was originally thought to be a rebuilding year.
Cohen acknowledged there was very little difference between what the two teams had to offer.
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‘There was a lot of emotion and a lot of ups and down, not knowing where you stood,’ Cohen said.
In the end, Soto chose the Mets’ 15-year, $765 million bid, which was only $5 million more than the Yankees offered, a high-ranking Yankees executive told USA TODAY Sports.
Soto’s decision to pick up and come to Queens, perhaps adds even more fuel to the Mets-Yankees rivalry.
‘The Yankees are the Yankees. I respect that,’ Cohen said. ‘This is not about the Yankees versus the Mets. It’s about competing for a player. We both can exist in New York. There’s plenty of room.’
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