Mets president reveals targeting Juan Soto before his free agency, foresaw $765 million superstar's blockbuster sweepstakes

The New York Mets won the race for Juan Soto after an intense sweepstakes in the offseason. Soto was the biggest name in the offseason after he walked into free agency following a career year with the New York Yankees in 2024.

The Yankees were among the teams intensely pursuing Soto in his free agency. However, their cross-town rivals, the Mets, signed the All-Star outfielder for a record-breaking $765 million deal.

Several teams were involved in the Dominican star's sweepstakes in the offseason and Mets president David Stearns revealed that they were tracking him for a while and foresaw his blockbuster free agency. He addressed Soto's free agency in “The Pursuit,” a two-part documentary released by the Mets on YouTube.

“I think Juan Soto has been on all of our radars for a long time,” Stearns said. “You knew that eventually that the day would come that Soto will become available to all thirty teams in Major League Baseball.”

Juan Soto, who rose to stardom with his postseason heroics with the Washington Nationals in their World Series winning campaign in 2019. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022, establishing himself among the best hitters in the game.

The Mets owner Steve Cohen revealed that he had discussed Soto during his 2023 season with the Padres.

“I actually think that it started right at the beginning when David and I met,” Cohen said. “We discussed Juan as a possibility when and if he became available.”

Juan Soto makes bold admission about Mets offer in free agency

The Mets broke the bank to sign Juan Soto, eclipsing the record for the biggest contract in MLB history by surpassing the Los Angeles Dodgers' $700 million deal for Shohei Ohtani.

However, in a conversation with Abriendo Sports, Soto revealed that the Mets didn't offer him the highest contract, despite their record-breaking deal.

"The Mets didn’t offer the most money," Soto said, speaking in Spanish. "Some teams offered more."

According to reports, the Yankees had offered a similar deal to Soto over 16 years compared to the 15 years by the Mets. However, the Boston Red Sox reportedly eclipsed Mets' offer in the offseason but the Dominican slugger preferred staying in New York after his stellar 2024 season.

Following his arrival in Queens, Juan Soto expressed his desire to win the World Series with the Mets after falling short against the Dodgers in the Fall Classic last October with the Yankees.