NEW YORK — Let’s give credit where it’s due regarding Juan Soto. He was drop-dead honest when he said life with the Mets is “different” than it was with the Yankees.
It was neither a complaint nor an insult to anyone on either New York team – just the truth about the advantages of hitting in front of Aaron Judge versus Pete Alonso.
In an age where too many athletes have mastered the art of empty sound bites, Soto is a breath of fresh air. His candor in an interview with the New York Post on Monday was admirable.
But it’s also important that Soto hear the truth, not just speak it.
If the slugger is homesick for the Yankees, he has no one to blame but himself. Soto knew what he was giving up when he turned down Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner’s whopping $760 million offer.
Soto was turning his back not just on a contract that would’ve been worth nearly twice what Judge was making, but he walked away from a team that had just been to the World Series, a hitter-friendly right field porch and, yes, a long-term partnership with the game’s best all-around offensive threat.
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Soto and Judge were a two-headed monster. I believe No. 22 cherished every minute of the 2024 season. People close to the negotiations during free agency say Soto was on the verge of picking the Yankees – right up until two hours before the Mets declared victory.
Soto, shockingly, was theirs.
So what happened? As Soto appeared to be headed back to the Yankees, Mets owner Steve Cohen dropped all pretense of a back-and-forth business dialogue. He instead began rubber-stamping Soto’s demands. All of them.
As Soto recently explained to The Athletic, “When a player goes to free agency, he’s allowed to ask for anything. So I asked. And they gave me everything I wanted.
“It was a big part of it. Anything I wanted in my contract — opt outs, season tickets — I got it.”
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It’s hard to say no when your future boss is shoving a blank check across the table. Add Cohen’s non-negotiating negotiating style to Soto’s family pushing for him to become a Met, and you can understand why the Yankees lost.
But four months have passed. The euphoria has been replaced by a sobering reality: Cohen’s money couldn’t buy Soto the lineup protection he’s missing today.
This is no slight against Alonso, who’s having a career year. He’s a big reason why the Mets are in first place in the NL East.
In fact, the Polar Bear’s hot start (.356, 1.195 OPS) is running cover for Soto, who’s hitting .250 with a .859 OPS. Soto will come around, but he’s living in a different world now.
That’s the operative word: different.
“I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone (with the Yankees), less intentional walks and things like that,” Soto told The Post. “I was pitched differently last year.”
That’s not just Soto’s perception. According to Fangraphs.com, Soto is indeed seeing a career-low 44.6 percent of pitches in the strike zone, compared to 47.2 percent last year.
Soto is also discovering there’s a wide gulf between life as Judge’s wingman in the Bronx and becoming The Man in Flushing. The Mets are Soto’s team, which means being accountable for every at-bat.
Soto is a bright guy. He had to know there’d be responsibilities – and risks – that were attached to Cohen’s deal. While the Yankees bear no ill will towards Soto, they weren’t surprised by his awakening.
“What did he expect?” is how one member of the organization put it. “Dude wanted his money; he got it. But he gave up a lot, too.”
Of course, Soto could’ve extinguished this story by sidestepping the question. Most pro athletes would’ve done just that. But Soto’s honesty is one reason he’s respected by teammates. That and a fierce work ethic.
That’s why Judge didn’t gloat when he heard that Soto misses him. The captain chose the high road.
“I’m not really going to go back and forth with this,” Judge said before adding, “(Soto) just needs to keep being himself. He’s going to be just fine.”
That message was delivered in a phone call to Soto in March. Judge wanted his former teammate to know there were no hard feelings about the defection to the Mets.
“I think Juan made the right decision for himself and his family,” Judge told me during camp. “There’s no hard feelings. We’re still friends.”
Judge politely avoided telling Soto the Yankees had moved on without him. They signed Max Fried, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. And without Soto, Ivy Leaguer Ben Rice has blossomed. He currently boasts the American League’s highest exit velocity.
And guess who’s hitting behind Rice? The same guy who protected Soto last year.
You bet Soto misses Judge. He’s truthful enough to admit it, which says something about his character. But no one should feel bad for Soto. He knew exactly what was in store.
Ironically, there’s one upshot Soto didn’t see coming. It’s the one that hurts the most.
The Yankees might just be better without him.
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Bob Klapisch may be reached at bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com.
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