Mets owner Steve Cohen led a contingent of high-ranking Mets officials to meet with superstar free agent hitter Juan Soto Saturday in Orange County, The Post has learned.
All early signs suggest the meeting went extremely well, and the Mets remain viewed as one of the favorites for the services of Soto, who helped the Yankees reach the World Series in his initial season in New York and is the top priority of both New York teams.
It isn’t known whether official offers are being made at meetings this week, but it is all but certain the 26-year-old Soto will set a record for actual contract value and his deal could reach $600 million, or possibly even $700 million.
Word is, the Mets’ presentation was a “big production” and “very detailed,” so they obviously poured a lot of work into the initial meeting with their top target.
The Yankees, also considered among the favorites, are due in Monday to Orange County, Calif., for their meeting with Soto, who hit 41 home runs and posted a .989 OPS his season in the Bronx. The Jays and Red Sox are among other teams to meet with Soto this week.
While the Yankees are the incumbent, the Mets hold a few advantages, starting with Cohen’s wherewithal and his determination to bring a sustainable winner to Queens. The Mets also made it to the NLCS this season and appear to be on the upswing.
The Mets do have several free agents of their own, including their home-grown slugger Pete Alonso and three-fifths of their starting rotation, but there’s no doubt who their priority is now.
That’s Soto.
