Juan Soto just signed a $765 million contract with the Mets on Dec. 11, and has started a huge controversy behind Soto as a player and how this transaction is horrible for baseball.
Soto’s decision to sign the $765 million contract with the Mets despite his World Series run with the New York Yankees is horrible for the game as it shows his disloyalty towards the Yankees and his money-hungry playstyle.
Soto’s disloyalty to the Yankees was expressed by many fans, including Nick Turturro who expressed his displeasure and anger at Soto’s signing with the Mets for a higher price.
“I’m taking it personal! We gave you our love! We gave you our (bleeping) heart and soul! It wasn’t enough! “You don’t even choose the Dodgers! You go off-Broadway to the Mets. You don’t wanna be on Broadway? You don’t wanna be Judge’s partner. That’s it. Let’s stick it up his (bleeping) ass!” Turturro stated in Randy Miller’s “Yankees react to fans now despising Juan Soto for picking Mets.”
It is evident that Soto is playing for money rather than playing for the love of his team and the game. The 15-year, $765 million deal Soto signed with the New York Mets could end up a total bust, and overall, Soto leaving the Yankees for a higher contract shows how he is playing for money rather than playing for the love of his team and the game.
Sports journalist Brendan Kuty argues that Soto’s departure from the Yankees not only show’s his disloyalty to the fans, as him and Aaron Judge formed,”, perhaps the best one-two punch seen since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.” is leaving what could have been a historical legacy that would have been remembered in the Yankees baseball program for years and years to come. Earlier on in the season, Kuty also mentioned that “He (Soto) talked about how much he loved his time with the Yankees and how much he loved his teammates. He talked about putting his name alongside all-time Yankees greats.” Soto had a chance to be known as a forever Yankee and threw that away for a higher contract.
At the end of the day however, some may say that Soto deserves the money because of how good he is. It’s a contract fit for the game’s best hitter. MLB.com states that Soto only completed his age-25 season and already has 201 home runs, five Silver Slugger Awards and a batting title under his name with a possible 10+ more years to go. He owns a .285/.421/.532 career slash line in 4,088 career plate appearances. His on-base percentage is ranked best among active..
However, Mets beat reporter Anthony DiComo argues, “Had Soto agreed to stay, he and Aaron Judge could have continued to serve as one of the league’s most dynamic one-two punches near the top of the order.” Instead, now a Met, Soto becomes a player with the highest potential on his new team — the Mets — a team that finished two wins shy of reaching the World Series rather than a team — the Yankees — that did reach the World Series.
Soto’s decision to sign the $765 million contract with the Mets despite his World Series run with the Yankees is shows Soto’s disloyalty and money-hungry playstyle. Player loyalty in baseball is slowly being forgotten and players like Soto are a prime example of how contracts like these ruin the game.
MLB Players: remember your fans, who you are as a player, and what you are playing for. Don’t blow a World Series run team for a higher contract.
Works Cited
AOL is part of the Yahoo family of brands. (n.d.). https://www.aol.com/didnt-talk-those-guys-signing-214001630.html
Kuty, B. (2024, December 9). Mets sign Juan Soto: 3 biggest reasons it’s a major disappointment for Yankees. The Athletic. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5961373/2024/12/08/yankees-juan-soto-free-agency-disappointment/
Bryan Hoch, MLB.com. (2024, December 9). How Soto fits Mets, the market impact, and more. MLB.com. https://www.mlb.com/news/juan-soto-signing-with-mets-mlb-analysis
Randy Miller, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com & Randy Miller, [email protected]. (2024, December 11). Yankees react to fans now despising Juan Soto for picking Mets. Nj. https://www.nj.com/yankees/2024/12/yankees-react-to-fans-now-despising-juan-soto-for-picking-mets.html
The Learning Network. (2024, December 11). $765 MILLION CONTRACT Superstar slugger Juan Soto agreed to a $765 million deal, the biggest in pro sports history. Is he — or anybody — worth it? The New York Times. Retrieved December 13, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/11/learning/765-million-contract.html
