Could Soto end up north of the border?
The Yankees reportedly had a “productive” meeting with Juan Soto on Monday and felt “encouraged” about his desire to stay in pinstripes.
However, the superstar outfielder staying in the Bronx appears to be far from a lock.
In a segment for New York Post Sports on Tuesday, Jon Heyman was challenged to handicap the ongoing Soto sweepstakes. Heyman tabbed the Mets as the favorite, which wasn’t a surprise given their need for another superstar and owner Steve Cohen’s penchant for spending big.
The surprise was Heyman’s pick for the current second-place team in the race: the Toronto Blue Jays. As of early Tuesday evening, the veteran MLB insider situated the Yankees “no better than No. 3” in the push to sign the four-time All-Star.
Heyman’s stance differed from that of an anonymous American League executive, who recently told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that the Mets and the Yankees are the most legitimate candidates to sign Soto. That said, the Blue Jays reportedly made a good impression on the 26-year-old when they met with him last week.
Of course, none of these reports and takes bode well for the Red Sox, who also have met with Soto but might not be as all-in as their competitors.