The Yankees are working to prevent a buzzkill from the Mets' Juan Soto

LOS ANGELES — The Mets aren't even officially in the Juan Soto sweepstakes yet, and the competition in town is already heating up. Weeks before the expected derby began, a Yankees manager fired the first salvo.

“Going from the Yankees to the Mets … that’s a hit,” one Yankees manager told The Post.

The Yankees, who are unsurprisingly making Juan Soto their top priority this winter, logically see the deep-pocketed, up-and-coming Mets as their biggest threat in this winter's top free agent derby.

Presumably the Yankees only increased their chances of retaining Soto by reaching the World Series for the first time in 15 years – with a big boost from Soto himself, of course – but they can see the threat from eight miles south and east.

The “buzzkill” comment gives a hint of the argument the Yankees will make. It's fair that the Yankees have a leg up in history, general fan interest and, yes, enthusiasm. It also shows where they see the competition from.

It makes sense that the Mets could be the toughest competition thanks to owner Steve Cohen's generosity, giving the Mets the opportunity to give Soto something of a blank check. Soto initially cited the win as something to consider when discussing his upcoming free agency, and Cohen's Mets also showed they're on the rise by reaching the NLCS.

Soto called this Thursday “one of the most fun seasons” he's ever had, and while a friend confirmed he's “loving it” as a Yankee, the friend also suggested there were some early speed bumps and a staycation certainly is not a certainty – which should be the case. It is no surprise to anyone who reports about the ability to act freely.

Citing the Mets and Blue Jays as the perceived threats in the contest, the Yankees manager began to lay out the club's case, pointing out the advantages of Yankee Stadium's short porch and, in particular, an all-time top hitter in Aaron Judge behind him. (No other team other than a potentially reconfigured Dodgers lineup could come close to providing such lineup protection, and the Mets' top slugger, Pete Alonso, is himself a free agent.)

Cohen didn't play for Judge as a free agent two years ago, and in that case he probably knew it would be impossible to lure an all-time great Yankee who was also homegrown. Soto's ties to the Yankees are obviously not nearly as strong, and he is expected to play the field seriously, with a record deal possible.

Rival executives also suggest they view the Yankees and Mets as favorites, in that order, but many big teams (and perhaps some smaller ones) are expected to play for Soto, including possibly the World Series opponent Dodgers. The Giants and Jays are two teams that attempted to trade for Soto before the Yankees completed the blockbuster five-for-two deal that brought him (and Trent Grisham) out of San Diego.

Some suspect East Coast teams have an advantage since Soto got off to a rough start in San Diego. However, it is said that late Padres owner Peter Seidler was making serious progress on a Soto deal before falling ill and breaking off talks.

Be that as it may, many now see this as a New York vs. New York battle royale. In a way, it has already begun.