The New York Mets lost out on outfielder Juan Soto to the crosstown-rival Yankees this winter.
If Soto becomes a free agent next offseason, the Mets are expected to pursue the 25-year-old again.
The three-time All-Star was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Yankees in early December and the two sides later agreed to a one-year, $31M deal covering the 2024 campaign.
Soto spent the first four-plus seasons of his career with the Washington Nationals before being traded to the Padres in August 2022.
He made two All-Star teams with the Nationals, won a Home Run Derby and two Silver Slugger awards, claimed a batting title and helped lead Washington to their first World Series title during his time with the franchise.
Soto, Manny Machado and company lost the NLCS to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022 before adding longtime Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts on an 11-year, $280M contract that December.
Despite having one of the best lineups on paper, San Diego went just 82-80 in 2023 to finish in third place in the NL West and outside of the playoff picture.
Soto was the only member of the team to play in all 162 regular-season games.
He led the league in walks for the third straight year (132) and paced the squad in runs scored (97), home runs (a career-high 35), RBI (109), on-base percentage (.410), slugging percentage (.519), OPS (.929) and total bases (295). Soto also made his third All-Star team over the summer.
Now, he’ll form arguably the most dangerous pairing in the American League with former AL MVP Aaron Judge and try to get the Yankees their first World Series title since 2009.