As the Mets and Yankees chase pennants, a Juan Soto winner is on the horizon

The New York Mets' win did more than secure them a berth in the NL Championship Series and two series wins ahead of winning their third World Series.

According to two MLB insiders, this has also improved their chances of signing Juan Soto this offseason now that the New York Yankees' pennant hunt ends and he becomes a free agent.

“If I had to guess, if the Yankees win (the World Series), he would come back. If the Yankees lose, he goes to the Mets,” ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel said on the “Baseball Tonight” podcast Thursday.

Buster Olney followed up McDaniel's prediction with an even more promising prediction for the Mets taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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“I think he’ll end up with the Mets either way,” Olney said. “And I think that the fact that the Mets are having this phenomenal season, the way it's going, will increase the likelihood that he ends up there because if they hadn't made the playoffs – say , they would have left in mid-September – then I think they would be more tied to the process.”

The “process” Olney describes comes from David Stearns, the president of baseball operations who was hired late last season to bring guidance and fundamentals to the front office and the way the Mets do business , from player development to player acquisition.

“I think if they end up making the World Series or winning the World Series, I just saw that,” Olney said. “Owners are excited, just as owners are excited, and to build on what they've done this year, there's no way to do more than sign Juan Soto next year. I think this will be a successful blank check situation. And basically he'll say, “What do I need to sign him?”

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Restore the glory

Olney did not describe Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner as someone who has an unlimited budget for Soto, meaning the Yankees, who start Monday's AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians, could be outbid.

The speculation surrounding Soto began when the Yankees acquired him in the offseason because he had Scott Boras as his agent and had already turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract with the Washington Nationals in 2022. But the Yankees have plenty of time — and the lure of an iconic franchise, possibly a 28th World Series — to trade Soto, who at 25 is planning a Hall of Fame career. He had a .288/.419/.569 line, 41 home runs and 109 RBIs in the regular season.