![\"Juan](\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/NYP071924YANKEES38JS.jpg?w=1024\")
<\/figure>\nThe Mets understood from the beginning that the Yankees\u2019 one untouchable advantage in this derby is their ability to offer a two-time MVP winner, Aaron Judge, as lineup protection.<\/p>\n
Some new-school folks scoff at the idea of protection within a batting order, but Judge was the American League OPS leader by 10 percent with a 1.159 mark, so far above everyone else that Soto didn\u2019t lead the league in walks for a rare time. Judge did, with 133 free passes, to 129 for Soto.<\/p>\n
The Mets are also seen as an attractive destination for Soto, as his meeting with Mets higher-ups, including club owner Steve Cohen and team president David Stearns, was said to have gone well (as did the Yankees meeting a few days later).<\/p>\n
The Mets impressed Soto with their stunning run to reach the NLCS last year in Stearns\u2019 first season at the helm.<\/p>\n
The Red Sox and Blue Jays are also believed to have placed very competitive bids, while the superteam Dodgers, with less need to add yet another superstar, surprised folks just by going well over $600M.<\/p>\n All three of those teams seem to still be in the bidding, though the lowest-bidding Dodgers are still viewed as the least likely destination despite their obvious attractiveness.<\/p>\n Soto met with higher-ups of all five teams last month, even including the Yankees \u2014 although Soto was said to have grown progressively more comfortable in the Yankees environment over the year he was in The Bronx. He is thought to have made a connection with Judge on that level, too.<\/p>\n Judge also made things easy when he announced that he hopes Soto gets whatever he can in the market, even if it means it\u2019s more than him.<\/p>\n If Soto signs for exactly $720M, coincidentally, it will exactly double Judge\u2019s then-free agent record $360M deal, set only two years ago.<\/p>\n Soto was projected to break Ohtani\u2019s present-day value record of around $450 million, but nobody predicted he\u2019d beat Ohtani\u2019s mark by 60 percent, which will be the case if no money is deferred in his deal. Ohtani\u2019s contract called for 97 percent in deferrals, so $680 million of the $700 million will be paid later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" DALLAS \u2014 The Yankees and Mets both remain heavily involved in the five-team Juan Soto Derby, with both clubs recently upping offers into the $710 million-$730 million… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15607,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Aaron](\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/NYP072224Yankees40JS.jpg?w=1024\")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"Steve](\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/101324Mets207CW.jpg?w=1024\")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n