By Manuel Polanco and Kate Dempsey
The New York Mets have reportedly signed outfielder and renowned player Juan Soto to a recording-breaking deal worth $765 million dollars for 15 years, according to NBC News. For two New York teams that already have a heated rivalry, this change is set to further divide fans over which team, and player, to support.
Coming off a season where he led the Yankees to their first World Series in 15 years, Juan Soto hit the market as a highly sought-after player. While having previously played for the San Diego Padres in 2022, Soto started his career as a Washington National in 2018, and finished second place for the “Rookie of The Year” award by the National League behind eventual winner Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr., according to the Washington Post.
Since his debut, Soto has been an electric player, with his latest season seeing a slashline of .285/.421/.953 along with 201 career home runs, according to ESPN. Having a generational talent like this on the Mets for the next 15 years is going to garner a lot of fans, and the hope of many championships as well. Those who have coached Soto previously note that the player’s ability to play the sport seemed innate as he began to join the Major League.
“The ball comes off his bat different. The way he approaches the hitting was way different than a lot of kids I’ve seen,” Dave Martinez, who managed Soto when he was a player for the Washington Nations, told NPR. “He’s a tremendous player. He’s going to help the Mets, as we all know. I’m proud of him.”
To Mets owner Steve Cohen, the high price tag for any player, including Soto, is worth spending in order to appease fans and increase their chances of making it to the playoffs. Prior to Soto, Cohen signed their second-most expensive deal with player Francisco Lindor at $341 million in 2022, showing that there is no slowing down the exponentially growing amount of money spent on their players, according to NBC News.
“I don’t care about the cost side. If I can make millions of people happy, how cool is that? I actually do it as a civic responsibility,” Cohen said, as reported by NBC News.
The Mets as a whole changed when they first traded for Guardians’ shortstop Francisco Lindor during the 2020 offseason. This was the first big move in Cohen’s era, and it’s a move that’s paved the way for the team’s current success. Lindor has been the face of the franchise since then, and now with Soto as his teammate, the two will be a potentially powerful duo and offensive threat to come.
The Yankees have not been happy with Soto’s departure, even after offering Soto $760 million dollars for 16 years, which did not prove to win against the Mets’ greater deal.
“Obviously, we wanted the player back. Ownership and the front office did everything we could to make it happen, but it just didn’t,” Aaron Boone, manager of the Yankees, told Sports Illustrated. “That’s sports, and ultimately Juan earned the right to be in the position that he’s in, and he made the decision that he felt was best.”
Many Mets fans remember the era of Jeff Wilpon, previous owner of the Mets, and their unwillingness to dish out big contracts to superstar players. When criticized for not having a higher payroll for the Mets, Wilpon explained that the rationale for not spending as much comes down to not focusing on the money spent in order to win.
“I’d rather look at what we can do in terms of wins and losses,” Wilpon told the New York Times in 2018. “Being top five in payroll, I don’t think that won us a World Series. We’re set out to make the playoffs and do well deep into the playoffs and try to win the World Series, not try to be the top five in payroll.”
Will this payoff lead the Mets to the playoffs? It remains to be seen. Soto’s era could be one of various successes, or various disappointments. What cannot be doubted is that this new era of Mets baseball will be a must-watch for baseball enthusiasts to come.