World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Yankees – Game 4 / Sarah Stier/GettyImages

Juan Soto might not be willing to give the New York Yankees an early edge in MLB free agency, but his dad didn’t get Scott Boras’ memo.

Soto’s done everything a good Boras client could possibly be asked to do in the early days of the offseason. He betrayed no preferences. He opened his doors to all 30 teams, as long as they opted to field a competitive offer. He wouldn’t hint at a geographical edge. He refused to so much as wink at the insinuation that his time in the Bronx would give the Yankees a leg up to match. It was textbook.

But, objectively speaking, most anticipate this race coming down to the Yankees and Mets. According to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo in a piece published this week, “His main thing, the priority, is winning.” Both franchises can provide that; the Yankees just went to the Fall Classic on the strength of Soto’s bat, and the Mets were a heartbeat away. They can make an argument that Soto might’ve pushed them over the top in the National League.

But winning in the here and now is one thing. In terms of long-term franchise prestige, the Mets can’t match the Yankees. No one can.

When Soto first arrived in a trade with the Padres, we heard rumblings that his east coast family was overjoyed that he’d be joining the Yankees. Based on what his father let slip while the Yankees were celebrating their AL pennant, that would seem to have been accurate:

“Soto has repeatedly said he loved his time in New York. After the Yankees clinched the pennant in Cleveland, Soto’s father, also named Juan José Soto, raved in Spanish about his son’s experience as a Yankee.

‘Spectacular. Spectacular,’ Soto said during the Yankees’ on-field celebration. ‘The Yankees are the home of baseball. It’s the brand of baseball. And there isn’t anything like playing for the Yankees’.”

Yankees star Juan Soto’s time in pinstripes was special to his family. Wait, “was” or “is”?

Of course, these statements were made in the heat of a celebration and not the coldness of a clubhouse flop. They were made by Soto’s exuberant father and not the player himself. If the Yankees do not reach a certain level financially, “loves” will turned to “loved” in short order.

But it cannot be denied that the Yankees’ branding, history of greatness, and earning opportunity represent important touchstones for Soto and his family. Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner have no excuse not to be close in the bidding and victorious at the finish line.