Yankees are starting to sound very nervous about losing Juan Soto to the Mets

The New York Yankees left Game 1 of the World Series heartbroken after Nestor Cortes’ second pitch in 37 days was sent several rows deep into right field in the bottom of the 10th inning. Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman launched the first-ever walk-off grand slam in World Series history with two outs and the bases loaded.

It was a special moment in LA and a serious missed opportunity for the Yankees, who came agonizingly close to stealing home field advantage and turning this series on its head. Instead, the Dodgers will go for the 2-0 series lead on Saturday night, with the Yankees’ backs against the wall early.

New York has a lot of concerns right now. No one in the locker room is thinking about the offseason or free agency. You only get so many chances to take home a World Series title, even if you’re the Bronx Bombers.

That said, the Yankees’ front office is certainly keeping an eye on the upcoming free agent market. This winter will have profound implications for the future of Yankees baseball. Several key pieces are eligible for free agency, with none more notable than right fielder Juan Soto.

The 26-year-old arrived in New York via trade last season and, true to Scott Bora’s form, did not sign an extension. He’s going for the most money in free agency, which could be difficult for the Yankees.

But which team can top the Yankees? The most historic baseball franchise in its No. 1 market?

Well, their neighbors. Steve Cohen and the endlessly wealthy New York Mets are lurking, and it’s clear the Yankees are sufficiently spooked now that Halloween is just around the corner.

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“Going from the Yankees to the Mets… that’s a buzzkill,” a Yankees employee told the New York Post.

Sure, that’s the easy argument for the Yankees: they’re the Yankees! – but it comes across as remarkably defensive this early in the process. The Mets won’t be courting Soto (officially) for a few weeks, but the Yankees are already throwing the media into the middle of a World Series. It’s a shame we didn’t get the Yankees-Mets because that would have fueled this upcoming free agency battle even more.

The Yankees are going to offer Soto a lot of money, but it’s almost guaranteed that the Mets will ultimately make the highest offer. There isn’t a richer team in sports, and Soto might be the best free agent of his generation. With the Mets so close to the World Series, there is no excuse not to push hard for Soto’s services. He could very well put this Mets team over the top, leaving one MVP candidate in Aaron Judge for another in Francisco Lindor.

That comment is absolutely hilarious and a bad look for the Yankees organization. Random shots at the Mets while you’re in the middle World Series Baseball it just reads like loser behavior, almost as if the Yankees are hedging their bets and getting ahead of the inevitable disappointment.

A friend of Soto told me New York Post about “early speed bumps” in his relationship with the Yankees, noting that Soto’s return to the Bronx is by no means guaranteed. So the stage is set for a bitter and tempestuous free agency war, and the Yankees clearly are too not in pole position.