The New York Yankees lost out on Juan Soto who signed a massive 15-year deal with the New York Mets.
Following the signing, MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed the Mets’ pitch to Soto included Edgar Suero, the Mets’ traveling secretary. Heyman says the Mets had Suero in the room due to the star outfielder having a grudge against a Yankees security guard.
“Cohen brought to the meeting his wife, Alex, and father-in-law. He also brought Edgar Suero, the Mets traveling secretary, who explained logistics and family perks,” Heyman said in his New York Post article.
“The Mets have excellent intelligence. They were aware that while Soto liked being a Yankee and loved having Aaron Judge protect him in the lineup and lead them all in the clubhouse, he allegedly was upset early in the year by an overzealous Yankees security guy who disallowed a family member and his chef/driver from certain areas,” Heyman added.
The Mets made sure Soto knew he and his family would be well taken care of if he signed with them. Heyman also reported on December 9 that part of Soto’s contract includes a suite for his family.
Whether or not the Yankees security guard had any impact on Soto’s decision is to be seen. But, Heyman says the Mets knew about it and made it clear that that wouldn’t happen with the Mets.
Soto hit .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs with the Yankees in 2024.
Soto’s Contract Breakdown With Mets
Soto signed a 15-year $765 million deal with the Mets, but it could increase to $805 million.
According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, Soto’s deal contains a full no-trade clause, a $75 million signing bonus, an opt-out after five seasons, and no deferred money.
However, the Mets will be able to void the opt-out if they boost the average annual value of the final 10 years of his deal from $51 million to $55 million, DiComo reported. If that happens, the deal would then be for $805 million over 15 years.
If Soto doesn’t opt out, his contract with the Mets will end after 2039 when he’s 39 years old.
Soto is a four-time All-Star and a World Series champion. He’s also a five-time Silver Slugger winner.
How Does Soto Fit in With New York?
Soto will have a major impact on the Mets’ offense.
The superstar outfielder will play right field, which likely pushes Tyrone Taylor to center, with Brandon Nimmo in left. As for the batting order, Soto will likely bat behind Francisco Lindor and hit ahead of Nimmo, creating a dynamic top-three.
Soto will get on-base a ton for the Mets. According to MLB.com, Soto’s xOBP in 2024 was .444. That ranked No. 1 in the Majors. But not just for 2024. Soto also had the single-best season by xOBP of any hitter in the entire Statcast era, which goes back to 2015.
Soto is known for his bat, but defensively, he did have a good year in 2024. The Dominican is coming off a year where he had a fielding percentage of .993 in right field and committed just 2 errors with 9 assists.
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Insider: Yankees’ Security Guard Hurt Team’s Chances in Re-Signing Juan Soto