JON HEYMAN NEEDS TO SHUT HIS PIE HOLE

And I say that with love.

Jon Heyman is back at it, folks—taking swings, making predictions, and seeing what sticks. During a Wednesday Bleacher Report stream, the MLB insider declared that Juan Soto, the All-Star outfielder currently starring in every hot-stove rumor, is most likely to land with the New York Mets. Why? Because Steve Cohen’s money machine never sleeps, and, well, that’s Heyman’s “gut feeling.”

"As we sit here today, I’d make the favorite the Mets," Heyman said, channeling his inner Mystic Meg. "Because Steve Cohen is there. I think they had a very good meeting. I think Soto probably believes long-term they’re going to be in great shape. … Me, if I had to pick a favorite right now, I might say Mets."

Now, let’s be clear: Jon Heyman is an entertaining and knowledgeable baseball insider, but he’s also baseball’s version of a carnival fortune teller. Remember that year when he confidently tweeted that “Arson Judge” was heading to the San Francisco Giants? Of course, Aaron Judge stayed in pinstripes, and Heyman earned himself a permanent spot in baseball meme history.

This Soto-to-the-Mets take feels like another shot in the dark, though Heyman does have some solid reasoning behind it. Steve Cohen is baseball’s wealthiest owner, and there’s talk that he’s willing to "go $50 million over whatever anybody offers" for Soto. David Stearns, the Mets’ new baseball czar, has already proven he can assemble competitive teams. Add to that Soto’s preference for staying on the East Coast, and sure, the Mets are a plausible favorite.

But before you hand Heyman the “First to Know” trophy, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that Bleeding Yankee Blue was ahead of the curve on this one—nearly a year ago. In June, BYB boldly predicted the very scenario Heyman is now floating: "Will Juan Soto go to the Mets after this season as I believe he will?" Looks like Jon might be pulling from the BYB playbook on this one (you’re welcome, Jon).

Meanwhile, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is busy assuring everyone that his team has “the ability to sign any player we want to sign.” Classic Hal. Yankees fans have heard this tune before, only to see marquee free agents slip through the cracks. Michael Kay even revealed this week that Cohen’s rumored willingness to outbid everyone by $50 million is making Steinbrenner’s cautious spending approach look downright quaint.

Let’s be honest: the Yankees are in serious danger of losing the Soto sweepstakes. Soto would fit perfectly in the Bronx, but if Cohen is indeed “going full blast,” as insiders claim, Hal might already be waving the white flag. Or, as NJ Advance Media’s Bob Klapisch put it, “My gut says Hal Steinbrenner is already preparing for Soto’s defection into the Mets' loving embrace.”

So, is Soto destined to don Mets blue and orange? It’s possible. The Mets have the cash, the market, and the East Coast appeal to build Soto into a generational superstar. Then again, with Heyman’s track record, maybe we shouldn’t book those Citi Field photo ops just yet. After all, this is the guy who gave us Arson Judge—a misstep so hilariously wrong that every Heyman prediction since comes with a side of skepticism.

Whether Soto ends up with the Mets, Yankees, or a surprise suitor, one thing’s for sure: the offseason drama isn’t over. And through it all, we’ll always have Jon Heyman—part baseball oracle, part chaos agent, always entertaining. Just don’t bet the farm on his gut.

Let me finish by saying the I'm razzing Heyman a bit. At the end of the day, I'd love Soto to be a Yankee, but in the sports world these days... anything is possible.  And for Soto and the Mets? It's very, very possible.