The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers are locked in a fierce battle. With each team looking for any edge they can get to land Juan Soto, his agent, Scott Boras, is keeping all offers under wraps. No one knows who’s leading in the $750 million sweepstakes or how high this bid will climb, but many are speculating—does Soto have a soft spot for New York? Another big equation now is: Will Steve Cohen really outbid the competition, or will the Red Sox come with a surprise? 

Even the old-time MLB insiders don’t know what to think at present; appearing on Thursday’s Fair Territory, Ken Rosenthal gave his remarks on the Juan Soto sweepstakes. Rosenthal responded to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, who highlighted that the Yankees could receive the “last shot” at matching any offer or beating any offer submitted for Soto. But as per Rosenthal, it will probably be the New York Mets, not the Yankees, who Boras will return to in the final moments of the bidding.

MLB insider thinks the Mets will have the final say on Juan Soto

Ken Rosenthal put his case on the Fair Territory podcast with a pretty definitive take on where this may all be headed. “I almost think the Mets will have the final say,” Rosenthal explained. noting that once Scott Boras and Soto collect all those offers, their next action could be to take all of it to Steve Cohen, the owner of the Mets. “What they should do, or what they likely will do, in my opinion, is go to Steve Cohen and say, ‘Okay, here’s where we are. What do you want to do? Do you want to top it? Do you want to go further? Tell us what you want to do’,” Rosenthal claimed, which, according to him, puts the Mets in a better position.

Rosenthal also made it clear that he wasn’t buying into the idea that the Yankees are getting any special treatment in the race for Juan Soto. “I don’t know that the Yankees get any preferential treatment here, if that’s what you’re implying,” he said, pointing out that it’s all about the highest bidder, and right now, it looks likely to be the New York Mets. Free agency is never predictable, and a lot can change as the bidding intensifies; as Rosenthal concluded, “A lot of things can happen.” So, even with the Mets positioned as the potential front-runners, Soto’s decision could still surprise everyone.

Juan Soto’s decision is fast approaching 

Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, affirmed on Tuesday that his guy isn’t close to a decision. Although Juan Soto has begun the process of narrowing down his choices, insiders believe he might decide the final name by the end of the Winter Meetings. Some are also projecting that Soto will have his take ready before teams and agents gather in Dallas on Sunday.

As of now, the Boston Red Sox are still in the running, but they have reportedly upped their offer to $600 million over the past few days. But the Sox are not alone in this pursuit; all the other major contenders, including the Yankees, Mets, and Blue Jays, are still in the race. Also, the Dodgers are still in the picture, and this puts Soto and Boras in a commanding position.

The Red Sox are keenly watching the Mets’ every move. With rumors around Cohen affirming Scott Boras that he’s willing to go $50 million over any other team’s top offer, whether that is actually the case or not is still unclear. But that perception is dictating the other teams’ actions—it surely gives the Mets an edge. What’s your take on the Mets’ big advantage? Let us know below.