LOS ANGELES – The Mets aren’t even officially in the Juan Soto Sweepstakes yet, and the crosstown competition is already heating up. Weeks before the expected derby was scheduled to begin, a Yankees manager fired the first salvo.

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

The Yankees, who, no surprise, are making Juan Soto their top priority this winter, logically see the deep-pocketed rising Mets as their biggest threat in this winter’s top free agent derby.

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

The “buzzkill” comment hints at the case the Yankees will bring. It’s fair that the Yankees have an edge in history, overall fan interest and yes, buzz. It also shows where they see the competition coming from.

It makes sense that the Mets could provide the most serious competition, thanks to owner Steve Cohen’s generosity, giving the Mets the opportunity to write Soto something close to a blank check. Soto first mentioned winning as something to think about when talking about his impending free agency, and Cohen’s Mets also showed they were coming by reaching the NLCS.

Soto on Thursday called this “one of the most fun seasons” he’s had, and while a friend confirmed he’s “loving it” as a Yankee, the friend also suggested there were some early speed bumps, and staying is certainly not a certainty – what should happen. It will not surprise anyone who describes free agency.

The Yankees manager listed the Mets and the Blue Jays as among the perceived threats in the league and began making the club’s case, pointing out the benefits of having Yankee Stadium’s short porch and, especially, an all-time great player in Aaron Judge batting. behind him. (No other team outside of a potentially reconfigured Dodgers lineup could offer anything close to that kind of lineup protection, and Pete Alonso, the Mets’ top slugger, is himself a free agent.)

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

Rival executives also suggest they view the Yankees and Mets as favorites, in that order, but many major teams (and perhaps some smaller ones) are expected to play for Soto, including possibly World Series foe Dodgers. The Giants and Jays are two teams that tried 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, as Soto had an awkward start in San Diego. But rumor has it that late Padres owner Peter Seidler was making serious progress on a Soto deal before he fell ill and ended talks.

Anyway, now many are seeing this as a battle royale between New York and New York. In a sense, it has already begun.