In the blockbuster deal that the baseball world was waiting for, superstar Juan Soto decided to skip across town and sign a historic 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets.
The record-shattering contract makes him the highest-paid athlete in sports history, and edged out the Yankees’ final offer of $760 million over 16 years.
Most people knew that Soto was going to take the highest offer no matter where it came from – and he sure wasn’t going to be giving the Yankees any hometown discount.
At the end of the day, Mets billionaire owner Steve Cohen put his money where his mouth was and struck the historic agreement.
Interestingly, some insiders have suggested that Soto’s decision to sign with the Mets stems from a breakdown in his relationship with the Yankees organization.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, friction arose over what many might consider a minor perk: a private suite at Yankee Stadium.
Cohen, known for his willingness to spare no expense, readily included the amenity in his offer.
Yankees management, however, stood firm, reportedly citing team precedent. Even legends like Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge had to pay for their suites, they argued.
“I don’t think a suite’s a possession arrow one way or the other. (Not) when you’re making that kind of money,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
According to reports, Soto’s unhappiness with the Yankees’ inner-workings may have run deeper than that.
Heyman also revealed that Soto harbored “negative feelings” about how his family and staff were treated at Yankee Stadium.
Early in the season, a security guard reportedly removed Soto’s parents from an area near the players’ entrance, an incident that left a lasting impression.
Months later, the same security personnel allegedly evicted Soto’s personal driver and chef from a restricted area, leaving them stranded in the rain.
These alleged incidents reportedly added to Soto’s dissatisfaction, making a return to the Yankees increasingly unlikely.
While the Yankees front office awaited Soto’s decision, other opportunities slipped through their fingers.
In one notable instance, they failed to make a run at ace pitcher Blake Snell because they were waiting on Soto.
Snell’s (and Soto’s) agent, Scott Boras, informed Cashman of a competitive offer from the Dodgers. Cashman’s response, as reported by the New York Post: “I can’t make an offer until I know what’s going on with Soto first.”
By December 1, Snell had signed with Los Angeles on a $182 million deal.
You can certainly make the argument that these leaks are an effort to make the Yankees look bad.
If we’re being honest, it’s hard to imagine the alleged incidents being the absolute be-all, end-all in Soto’s decision to sign with the Mets.
At the end of the day, he went to the highest-bidder – and Mets fans are ecstatic that the highest-bidder was them.
Needless to say, next year’s Subway Series is going to be quite interesting.
What are your thoughts on the whole situation?
Does Cohen’s aggressive actions prove that the Mets have now become the Yankees???
