Mets rumors: Yankees’ Juan Soto backup plan includes familiar names and a design to copy

Saying a lot without revealing any actual groundbreaking news other than using logic, Jon Heyman of the NY Post explored what the New York Yankees could do if they missed out on signing Juan Soto in the offseason. Alternatives include stripping Pete Alonso away from the New York Mets while also possibly targeting Sean Manaea in free agency, too.

As Heyman does point out, Alonso isn’t such a perfect fit in a Yankees lineup that would then feature Alonso, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton all swinging from the right side of the plate. Soto was always such a perfect fit for the Yankees because of the infamous short porch in right field. A haven for left-handed sluggers, Yankee Stadium seemed to be built for him to thrive.

There is a real possibility the Yankees are unable to retain Soto. The Mets will be serious contenders to pry him away. The Los Angeles Dodgers are rumored to be among the teams chasing him as well. Alonso and Manaea are only one part of the backup plan for the Yankees if they fail to sign Soto. Heyman’s blueprint for what they could do instead actually looks quite appealing from a Mets standpoint.

The rumored Yankees backup plan is precisely what the Mets should do if they miss on Juan Soto

“The Yankees are figuring they might be able to sign three to four stars if they fail to sign Soto.” Heyman lists Anthony Santander and Alex Bregman as two offensive players alongside Soto. The starting pitching mix is much deeper headlined by players like Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell.

Soto is going to get a contract only outdone by what the Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani last offseason. Will it be $600 million? $700 million? An AAV of something around $50 million is the low end. Any team could greatly benefit from multiple players making that much rather than paying it toward one superstar.

Are three $17 million per year players better than one Soto on the roster? Alonso and Manaea figure to get more per year in their upcoming free agent contracts. A $17 million AAV is tough to quantify when looking at the players who made that much money last year because of how much more inflated contracts have gotten in a short period of time. Seiya Suzuki, Jameson Taillon, Nathan Eovaldi, and Rhys Hoskins were all tied at this amount. Would three of those four together on one team be more appealing than Soto for the next decade?

Money will decide where Soto plays next year and beyond. The kind of free agent we’ve dreamed of coming to the Mets, the backup plan for the Yankees lays out exactly what David Stearns must do if they swing and miss on Soto.