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 the right field stands in the bottom of the 10th inning. Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, with two outs and the bases loaded, launched the first-ever walk-off grand slam in World Series history.
It was a special moment in LA and a serious missed opportunity for the Yankees, who were painfully 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 to worry about at the moment. Nobody is that locker room is thinking about the offseason or free agency. You only get so many chances to bring home a World Series title, even if you're the Bronx Bombers.
That said, the Yankees' front office is certainly keeping tabs on the forthcoming free agent market. This winter will have profound implications on the future of Yankees baseball. Several key pieces are eligible to hit free agency, none more notable than right fielder Juan Soto.
The 26-year-old arrived in New York via trade last offseason and, true to Scott Boras form, did not ink an extension. He will go for the most money in free agency, which could prove troublesome for the Yankees.
But what team can outspend the Yankees? Baseball's most historic 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 with Halloween around the corner.
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"Going from the Yankees to the Mets … that’s a buzzkill," one Yankees employee told Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Sure, that's the easy argument for the Yankees — they're the Yankees! — but it comes off remarkably defensive this early in the process. The Mets won't be courting Soto (officially) for several weeks, but the Yankees are already throwing media haymakers in the middle of a World Series. It's a shame we didn't get Yankees-Mets, because that would've supercharged this upcoming free agency battle even more.
The Yankees are going to offer Soto a lot of dough, but it's almost guaranteed that the Mets will submit the top bid in the end. There isn't a richer team in the sport and Soto is arguably 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, and he'd just be 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 potshots at the Mets while you're in the middle of World Series baseball just reads as loser behavior, almost like the Yankees are hedging their bets and getting out ahead of inevitable disappointment.
A friend of Soto's told the New York Post about "early speed bumps" in his relationship with the Yankees, and noted that Soto returning to the Bronx is by no means guaranteed. So, the stage is set for a bitter and blustering free agency war, and the Yankees are clearly not in pole position.
