Gamesmanship.
If the Mets go after Soto, Middleton wants to raise the price as much as possible.
Soto won't necessarily put the Mets over the top. But he'll squeeze their budget.
In the end, it always comes down to pitching.
If Painter is the real thing, we're fine (he has Wheeler/Schilling potential).
The reason the Dodgers are WS champions is not just spending money, they also have a first rate farm system. It's what has kept the Braves competitive and put the Astros over the top.
Remember, Angels had Trout and Ohtani. But couldn't build a solid team around them before Trout broke down.