Mets Manager Provides Brief Answer Regarding Juan Soto Controversy

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Juan Soto leaving the New York Yankees after one season and signing with the cross-town rival New York Mets was not as shocking as some thought it was.

It's hard to believe any team was going to match the $765 million contract the Mets gave Soto, and he did what any smart player should do. He took the money and went to a place where he felt appreciated. That appreciation, however, has taken a bit of a left turn.

New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 18: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets bats against the New York Yankees during their game at Yankee Stadium on May 18, 2025 in New York City. Al Bello/Getty Images

It started over the weekend, when Soto frankly acted like he was above the moment in his first appearance in the Subway Series as a Met.

It was a rather lazy showing that even included Soto changing his mind on agreeing to be mic'd up during "Sunday Night Baseball."

That laziness continued into Monday, when Soto took a long time getting out of the box on a ball he thought was hit out of Fenway Park. Ultimately, it was a long single.

That play led to manager Carlos Mendoza saying he'd have a discussion with Soto and the two would figure things out. A conversation has happened, and Mendoza offered an insight on how the conversation with his superstar right fielder went.

"He's human," Mendoza told reporters. "He's 26, man. He's going to be fine. He's Juan Soto."

Mendoza is correct, Soto is indeed human. The age comment is questionable, though, as most would argue that because he is still a ripe 26 years old, he should always be busting it out of the box and hustling on every single play.

Mets fans are certainly hoping Soto has learned from what happened over the past few days and that they will get maximum effort out of their beloved $765 million superstar.

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About the writer

Andrew Wright is a Newsweek contributor based in Lancaster, South Carolina. His focus is MLB content. Andrew has been with Newsweek since April 1st and previously worked at Yardbarker, SEC Unfiltered and more. He is a graduate of Charleston Southern University.

You can get in touch with Andrew by emailing a.wright@newsweek.com or dew4417@icloud.com


Andrew Wright is a Newsweek contributor based in Lancaster, South Carolina. His focus is MLB content. Andrew has been with ... Read more