The Mets are heading into spring training with a whole new energy after landing Juan Soto with MLB’s biggest contract ever. It’s becoming clear – if Steve Cohen wants a player, he’s ready to outspend everyone else to get them.
That spending power could shake up next winter’s free agency market, especially with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s recent announcement. The Blue Jays’ four-time All-Star plans to test free agency after 2025, and the Mets are already being talked about as his next home.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand thinks the Mets will be tough to beat in any bidding war for Guerrero. Here’s why it makes sense:
Vladdy is that type of hitter, and just as we saw with Soto this winter, stud free agents at the age of 26 don’t come around very often. If the Mets want him, I find it hard to believe that they will be outbid.
The timing could work out perfectly. Pete Alonso just agreed to return to the Mets on a deal that lets him hit free agency after 2025 – right when Guerrero becomes available. If Alonso has a strong 2024 and chases a bigger contract elsewhere, the Mets might need a new first baseman.
That’s where Guerrero comes in. He’d slot right into first base and form a devastating duo with Soto in the heart of the lineup. The projections have Guerrero commanding around $427 million over 12 years, but that kind of number doesn’t seem to scare Cohen these days.
“If there is one thing we have learned, it’s that the Mets are going to be in play for any free agent that peaks their interest,” Feinsand notes. The way things are going in Queens, it’s hard to imagine them sitting out the Guerrero sweepstakes when the time comes.
