Mets owner Steve Cohen is making his first big Juan Soto move with Scott Boras visit

SAN ANTONIO — The Mets’ afloat tribunal property connected Juan Soto is astir to begin.

With it appearing much and much nan free-agent slugger is simply a privilege for nan squad this offseason, Mets proprietor Steve Cohen plans to recreation to Southern California adjacent week to meet pinch Soto and his supplier Scott Boras, according to manufacture sources.

Several different owners are expected to meet pinch Boras and Soto successful nan coming weeks. It’s unclear if that includes Hal Steinbrenner — Yankees GM Brian Cashman precocious said it’s imaginable Soto’s familiarity pinch nan statement from past play mightiness preclude a meeting.

But Cashman besides added that nan Yankees would meet pinch Soto arsenic galore times arsenic nan free supplier wants.

It’s imaginable Cohen will meet pinch different Boras free agents during nan owner’s sojourn to nan agent’s complex.

Boras’ unchangeable this offseason includes Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and Alex Bregman. Boras besides represents Pete Alonso, who is seeking a return to nan Mets connected a semipermanent deal.

Cohen has been an progressive subordinate successful nan hunt for apical free agents during his stewardship.

Last offseason he traveled to Japan pinch president of shot operations David Stearns to meet pinch pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Later successful nan offseason Cohen hosted Yamamoto and his contingent for a meal statement astatine his home. The right-hander yet signed a 12-year woody worthy $325 cardinal pinch nan Dodgers.

Yamamoto’s courtship represented nan first clip successful respective years some nan Yankees and Mets heavy pursued a prima subordinate successful free agency. Now they are battling for a 2nd consecutive offseason.

The Dodgers besides fig to beryllium a facet successful Soto’s free agency, which could lead to an all-out tussle for nan outfielder arsenic nan Mets look to debar nan disappointment of losing different premier free supplier to nan statement they aspire to become.

Soto, 26, could beryllium successful statement for a statement that approaches aliases surpasses nan $700 cardinal complete 10 years that Shohei Ohtani received past winter. Ohtani’s heavy deferred woody has a present-day worth of $437.5 million.

“I don’t deliberation Ohtani has overmuch to do pinch Juan Soto astatine all,” Boras said this week astatine nan GM Meetings. “It’s not thing we talk aliases consider. Juan Soto is successful an property class that separates him from all. So comparability is not erstwhile you do these things for these young players.”

Cohen and Boras surely aren’t strangers erstwhile it comes to negotiations. Before nan 2022 season, Cohen was progressive successful nan talks that landed Boras customer Max Scherzer pinch nan Mets.

The pursuing offseason Cohen was progressive pinch negotiations connected Brandon Nimmo’s caller statement and nan grounded woody for Carlos Correa. In nan second lawsuit nan Mets, aft agreeing to position pinch nan All-Star infielder, wanted to trim magnitude of guaranteed money owed to concerns complete his medicals. Cohen and Boras ne'er recovered communal crushed and Correa signed pinch nan Twins.

The Mets person important money that came disconnected nan books aft this season, pinch $90 cardinal unsocial successful dormant money removed pursuing nan departures of players specified arsenic Scherzer, Justin Verlander and James McCann successful nan mediate of their respective contracts.