Steve Cohen now has a $500 million future investment to make in Juan Soto

Steve Cohen likes flashy moves and nothing would be flashier than for the New York Mets to sign Juan Soto. The young superstar reportedly turned down a 13-year extension with the Washington Nationals worth a whopping $350 million. As whopping as it is, the deal is far less than Soto would end up with if he were in free agency right now.

It’s worth a little more than what the Mets gave Francisco Lindor last offseason and the average annual value isn’t record-breaking. If he does get to free agency, which it seems like he will unless the Nationals trade him first and he signs an extension with the new club, Soto to the Mets is very possible.

The moment Cohen became the owner of the Mets, things changed. We saw just how much they can back in November when the Mets were one of only a few teams to aggressively attack the open market. Max Scherzer received a three-year contract which awarded him with the highest annual average deal in MLB history. While Soto may not top it, you better believe Cohen is prepared to, in the future, break other records.

Mets owner Steve Cohen better set aside the $500 million now

No owner is richer than Cohen but richer doesn’t mean better in the sports world. There needs to be a will to spend. Cohen has it.

It’s way in the future for us to actually picture Soto in a Mets uniform. The Nationals aren’t going to trade him to New York. The cost would be far too great at this point with the extra tax of keeping him in the National League East. Unless the Mets were willing to part with Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Matt Allan, and probably a lot more, it won’t happen.

Soto is believed to be the player most in line to break the $500 million threshold in Major League Baseball. It’s a little ironic to talk about such huge dollars at this moment as the two sides argue over much less money during the lockout. The two are completely different situations and whatever may come of it, the one thing everyone can agree on is that Soto is one talented young baseball player with a massive credit limit coming his way.

Signing Soto, whenever that may be, will be a topic Mets fans dream about regularly until he’s under contract long-term. On Christmas morning, it won’t be sugarplum fairies dancing in our heads. It’ll be right field occupied by one of the best in the game.

Until that happens, keep speculating and leave a spot in the outfield open.