New York Yankees fans are still reeling over Juan Soto’s decision to sign with the New York Mets, and while money is on the table, one report suggests there may be another reason why he wanted Queens over the Bronx.
As the New York Post reported, Mets owner Steve Cohen was expected to do everything possible to keep Soto in blue and orange next season, and it was not just about money. It wasn’t.
According to The Post’s Jon Heyman, Cohen didn’t think twice when he offered Soto’s family a suite to close the $765 million deal he agreed to.
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New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Dodgers during the World Series in Los Angeles on October 26, 2024. (Image by Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn)
Heyman added that the Yankees “won’t budge on Sweet.” When former Yankees captains Aaron Judge and Derek Jeter paid for their families’ suites, the team felt they could not do so. There would have been a discount, but no freebies like Cohen’s.
Of course, a major part of this is that Soto signed a historic contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers that broke Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract.
Since there is no deferral, he is scheduled to receive $51 million per season. He gets a $75 million signing bonus, while the Yankees didn’t have that, and the contract has an escalator that could get him up to $805 million.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman defends pursuit of Juan Soto after loss to Mets: ‘Beyond our comfort zone’
Soto also has a five-year opt-out clause when he turns 30.
However, the Yankees’ deal was similar as they reportedly offered $760 million over 16 years. General manager Brian Cashman acknowledged it was “beyond our comfort level” when speaking with reporters at the MLB Winter Meetings on Monday.
New York outfielder Juan Soto reacts after being called out in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals during the ALDS at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 7, 2024. (Brad Penner-Image Image)
And even Cohen understood that his best offer might not beat the Yankees, considering Soto had already spent one year with the team and appeared in a World Series.
Cohen spoke to the Post about Soto’s negotiations with super agent Scott Boras. “It’s hard to beat that when you have Judge (Aaron). Juan was great, but what they had… I didn’t know how to work it out.”
But Cohen, GM David Stearns and the rest of the organization found a way and ultimately checked the boxes Soto wanted for his long-term future in MLB.
Meanwhile, the Yankees are turning to Plan B, which appears to be targeting top stars in the starting pitcher market, such as Max Fried and Corbin Burns.
Juan Soto of the Yankees takes off his batting glove after being grounded out during the World Series on Oct. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
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It’s yet to be seen how the Yankees will respond to life without Soto, but the consequences of his cross-town move still weigh heavily on fans’ minds.
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