"I would choose him over Lindor" - MLB analyst's calls for Mets to trade for Juan Soto has fans buzzing

Juan Soto was involved in one of the biggest trades of the 2022 season. Once a member of the struggling Washington Nationals, he was dealt to the San Diego Padres at the August deadline.

With the trade, the Washington Nationals decidedly demonstrated that they were entering a period of rebuilding, and would need to develop talent from the ground up. At the time Soto was being shopped around, the New York Mets were one of the teams also reported to be interested.

Soto was reportedly dealth after rejecting a massive deal worth $440 million over 15 seasons. Juan Soto was dealt to the San Diego Padres alongside Josh Bell for CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell, James Wood, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit.

Juan Soto's pricetag eventually prooved to be slightly too high for the Mets, who were already shelling out record cash on their existing lineup. Recently, Jon Heyman backed up the point of view that the New York Mets were right to hold off on Soto.

"The Mets (20th in OPS) could use Juan Soto now, but here’s what they likely would have had to give up get up to get him. Even he with his 155 OPS (probably) isn’t worth this!" - Jon Heyman

However, fans were not so sure. A considerable number commented beneath Heyman's status that they believe the New York Mets could use a slugger like Soto right now.

Despite having a payroll of about $350 million, the Mets' hitting has not reflected the high price tag of their players. The team's .242 average puts them 20th out of 30 MLB teams, their 253 runs place them 18th.

Although Soto had a cool start to the season, the 24-year old has seen his bat warm up. The young Dominican hit .323 with 6 home runs and 17 RBIs in the month of May.

Despite Soto's improved numbers, the San Diego Padres are also demonstrating underwhelming results. With a record of 26-31, the team ranks fourth in the NL West despite spending some serious money to retain and acquire talent this past offseason.

Juan Soto regret from Mets fans in 20/20

While it may be easy for Mets fans to wish that they traded with the Washington Nationals to acquire Soto, the circumstances at the time may not have been so condusive. Instead of cursing management for purportedly not doing enough to obtain Juan Soto, the team will need to focus on winning with what they have.