4 weeks agoNew York Mets manager
Carlos Mendoza is leaning towards putting shortstop
Francisco Lindor at the top of the batting order and recently acquired outfielder
Juan Soto in the two-hole. Lindor spent most of the 2025 campaign batting in the top spot and performed very well. When batting first, Lindor posted a stellar .303/.374/.552 line with 26 home runs and 31 doubles. He held a 42:97 BB:K ratio. He generated a .379 xwOBA, placing him in the 95th percentile among qualified hitters. Juan Soto spent his entire 2024 season batting in the two-hole with the Yankees. He posted a .288/.419/.569 line with a career-best 41 home runs. He showed an elite eye at the plate with an 18.1 percent walk rate. As a result, fantasy managers should expect
Pete Alonso,
Mark Vientos, and
Brandon Nimmo to bat behind them, providing them with elite RBI opportunities.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: SNY
3 months agoAccording to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Mets have signed free-agent outfielder
Juan Soto to a massive 15-year contract worth $765 million. This is the largest deal in professional sports history and will likely keep Soto as a New York Met for the remainder of his professional career. Last season with the New York Yankees, Soto posted a stellar .285/.419/.569 slash line with 41 home runs. He boasted a .462 xwOBA, 19.7% barrel rate, and .646 xSLG, which were among the highest marks in the sport. Throughout his seven-year MLB career, Soto carries a .285/.421/.532 line. Given his incredible hitting skills, he should be viewed as a consensus first-round selection next season and a top pick in points leagues given his incredible eye at the plate.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
3 months agoAccording to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays have made an offer "in the ballpark" of $700 million and nearing 15-plus years to free-agent outfielder
Juan Soto. Heyman also noted that the Los Angeles Dodgers have submitted an offer of around "$600 million." The race to sign the 26-year-old superstar continues to heat up as several owners are willing to open their pockets to put themselves as the highest bidder. Last summer in his debut campaign in the Bronx, Soto posted an excellent .288/.419/.569 slash line with 41 long balls. Under the hood, he boasted a .462 xwOBA and .316 xBA, which placed him in the top 100th percentile among qualified hitters. No matter where he calls home in 2025, Soto will be a consensus first-round selection in all fantasy formats this spring.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jon Heyman
3 months agoThe bidding for free-agent superstar outfielder
Juan Soto has reached $600 million, according to two people briefed on the negotiations who were not authorized to speak publicly. Soto's agent, Scott Boras, said on Tuesday that his client has also started the process of eliminating potential teams. The Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers are reportedly the most serious about Soto, and all the remaining contenders have made offers above $600 million. The MLB winter meetings begin on Sunday in Dallas, and the expectation is that Soto will make his decision by the end of the meetings. The 26-year-old generational talent is expected to sign for at least 12 years, with the present-day value of his new contract almost certainly beating the record
Shohei Ohtani set last offseason with a deferred 10-year, $700 million contract. Wherever Soto is playing, he should continue to be an offensive beast.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal, Evan Drellich and Brendan Kuty
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