A new report suggests that Juan Soto will not be the only big-time free agent the New York Mets and New York Yankees engage in a bitter battle to sign this offseason.

This is going to be a pivotal next few weeks and months for both the Mets and Yankees. The pair of New York franchises showed in October they both have the key building blocks of a championship team. However, they also found out that they were still a few key pieces away from dethroning the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025.

Even before the 2024 season came to a close, the pair of clubs were linked to what will be a hotly contested chase for All-Star Juan Soto. The young superstar is expected to get a massive contract this offseason after an MVP-caliber year for the Yankees this summer. While his current team is the favorites to retain his services, the Mets are considered a serious threat.

However, Soto is not the only game-changer or high-upside free agent this winter. A new report from one notable MLB insider suggests the two New York teams could again go to war for a major player after the dust settles from their Juan Soto battle.

New York Mets and New York Yankees have “extreme” interest in Roki Sasaki

Pitchers remain a vital part of any championship team. And quite a few players in this year’s market are sure to get some huge contracts. One player in particular who has been receiving a great deal of attention in recent days is Japanese ace Roki Sasaki.

There have been rumblings that the 23-year-old star will ask his current team, the Chiba Lotte Marines to post him in December so he can hit the free-agent market. In a recent column, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan explained Sasaski’s situation and revealed the teams interested in his services. Passan claimed that the New York Mets and Yankees “have extreme interest in Sasaki” after scouting him throughout the 2024 season.

• Roki Sasaki stats (Career): 4 Seasons, 30-15 Record, 2.02 ERA, 0.883 WHIP, 524 SO, 414.2 IP

It must be noted that the Dodgers are seen as huge favorites to sign the gifted prospect. Due to having a pair of Japanese stars already on the roster. Plus, since Sasaki is looking to move to MLB before age 25, he is being posted as an international free agent. And LA has the most money to offer in the current pool.

“Sasaki, nicknamed ‘The Monster of the Reiwa Era,’ throws a fastball that regularly reaches triple digits and complements it with a frontline split-fingered fastball and a slider,” Passan wrote about the pitcher this week.