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Juan Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million deal to leave the New York Yankees and join the New York Mets last winter. However, Yankees' play-by-play announcer Michael Kay has revealed that Soto may be unhappy with his decision.
"People that I talked to on the Mets side, and they can deny it publicly, because, of course, that's what they have to do, he is very, very glum around the clubhouse," Kay said on ESPN radio. "He does not have a hop in his step. He does not smile much. I'm not gonna say he is unhappy. Because how can you be unhappy with a $765 million contract? But money is not a guarantee that you are gonna be comfortable somewhere."
This report would be in line with Soto's comments to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Heyman revealed that Soto's offer from the Yankees was a 16-year, $760 million deal. He got a better deal financially from the Mets, but Soto told Heyman the Yankees were his first choice. He made it seem like the money was the deciding factor.
"It was a tough decision. (The Yankees) were No. 1 ... but we couldn't get it done," Soto told Heyman. "But at the end of the day, things work for a good reason. I trust what we've done. And we'll see what happens."
Kay, however, revealed that Soto's decision may have had nothing to do with money.
"It comes down to this. I'll say it now, and it will be denied. Of course, it has to be denied. But I have talked to people that I respect. He wanted to return to the Yankees. That was his preference," Kay said. "His family said, 'You are going to the Mets.' His family felt very comfortable around Alex and Steve Cohen. And they said, 'You are going to the Mets.' And he is a guy that listens to his family. So I think at this point, he is probably a bit down, pouting a bit. And then to come into Yankee Stadium with three straight sellout crowds, at a place that was his Field of Dreams. It became his Field of Nightmares over the weekend."
Over the weekend, when the Mets visited Yankee Stadium, the same fans who once adored Soto were booing him. Soto is not having his best year either. He is hitting just .246 and has hit into a National League-leading nine double plays.
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Aaliyan Mohammed is a Newsweek contributor based in Atlanta, GA. His focus is MLB content. Aaliyan has been with Newsweek ... Read more