QUEENS, NY — Juan Soto admitted that no clear favorite existed throughout his free-agency process. So much so that his decision to sign with the New York Mets over his former club, the Yankees, and three other suitors “came down to the last second.”
“I really had a good time with the Yankees,” Soto said during his introductory press conference with the Mets on Thursday at Citi Field. “I really enjoyed every bit of my Yankees experience. I can’t even describe it. It was incredible. It was really tough to go away from it. [My family and I] tried to figure out how things were going to be, here and there, and as a family, we decided on the Mets.”
Besides the $765 million contract and the on-field product that had Soto talking about building the Mets into a dynasty — the obvious reasons why he ultimately jumped across town — the 26-year-old four-time All-Star was also drawn to Queens by the family-first feeling that trickled down from Steve Cohen and his family.
“They are the right family: A family that wants to win, but they definitely want to take care of their players and their families and stuff,” Soto said. “That’s one of the things I always like. It was interesting for me to look forward to that.”
Soto’s family has taken on a considerable role throughout his free-agent production. While the Cohens preached accommodations for his loved ones both inside and outside the ballpark — an effort led by Steve’s wife, Alex — reports surfaced in recent days that owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman would not offer Soto’s family a suite in the Bronx ballpark and he would instead have to pay for it. Another report accused an overzealous security guard at Yankee Stadium barring the Soto family from certain areas.
It very well could have been one of the major deciding factors in why the left-handed slugger will wear blue and orange rather than Yankee pinstripes for the next 15 years.
“[The Cohens] had a lot of stuff on the table: What they do with their players, how they communicate with the players, and the relationship they have is straight up with the players,” Soto said. “That was a lot of things that he showed us, how he has a relationship with a lot of players… Coming from the owner that does that, that’s special.”
His decision provides a seismic shift within New York’s baseball landscape. Since Cohen took over the club, he had been adamant that they would not be the city’s No. 2 team. A major coup to swipe a generational talent from right under the Bronx Bombers’ nose does plenty to confirm that.
“Having grown up a Mets fan, I understand how, for our fan base, [the Soto signing is even sweeter],” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “For me, I’m just glad we got the player. It didn’t matter from where he was coming. I’m just glad we got the player.”
The ultimate difference maker that will put the Amazins atop the Big Apple is winning World Series titles, which the franchise has not boasted since 1986.
“It’s been a Mets town for a long time. Now we just gotta bring it to the top,” Soto said. “Championships is going to tell you if it’s a Yankees or a Mets town at the end of the day.”
