Inside source shares telling comment about Juan Soto's feelings on Mets

Somebody allegedly close with Juan Soto recently spoke with Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media about the New York Mets' possible pursuit of New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto this coming offseason.

"Juan is not going to play for a joke of a team," Soto's friend said about the Mets. "Period."

Reporters and insiders have routinely linked the Mets with Soto, as the 25-year-old slugger is set to hit free agency this fall and reportedly wants to reset the market. He theoretically could receive the best offer (financially speaking) from big-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen. However, the not-so-Amazins began Friday with a woeful 23-33 record on the campaign and are coming off an embarrassing saga involving the club designating relief pitcher Jorge Lopez for assignment.

As much as the Mets may not be a Soto away from competing for anything of note next season, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner worried his paying customers when he said last week that the club's payroll is "not sustainable." Scott Boras, Soto's agent, later insisted his client could one day "be among the top 100 players to ever play this game" and is someone who makes a franchise "worth billions more."

On Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Soto as the betting favorite at +225 odds to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award for this season. Meanwhile, the first-place Yankees entered the evening at 39-19.

During his chat with Klapisch, Soto's presumed friend noted that Yankees captain Aaron Judge has referred to the All-Star outfielder as "one of us in the clubhouse." For a piece published on Thursday, MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post pointed out that the Yankees "hold the in-city advantages of bigger history and better roster" when it comes to a potential bidding war with the Mets for Soto's services.

Klapisch hinted that Soto's mindset could change multiple times between the final day of May and the start of free agency. If nothing else, the reporter's piece offered yet another reminder that Soto's camp (Boras) may ultimately have to decide how much money he is willing to decline in order to stay with what's quickly become a happy baseball home.