JUAN Soto is officially the newest member of the New York Mets.
After a bidding war between the New York Yankees and Mets, Soto decided to take his talents to Queens.
During his introductory press conference with the Mets, Soto shared that the Yankees did everything in their power to try keeping him in the Bronx.
However, the Mets were able edge out their cross-town rivals in pursuit of the superstar outfielder.
“I don’t think it was the Mets over the Yankees,” Soto said.
“I think it was five teams that [were] right there on the table. I don’t think it had anything to do with the Mets over the Yankees.
“I think we had all five teams pushing until the last moment, until the last time of making the decision.
“And we went over to the Mets.”
Soto had a spectacular 2024 campaign with the Yankees, hitting 41 home runs and finishing third in MVP voting in the American League.
He was a crucial part of their World Series run, the first time they made it there since 2009.
However, their final offer of $760 million over 16 years wasn’t enough to keep Soto in town.
Instead, he accepted the Mets’ offer of $765 million over 15 years.
“I had other four teams doing the same thing and trying to make me comfortable,” he said.
“And at the end of the day, we looked at everything. We looked at the chances, and we looked at what the other teams wanted to do and what everyone wants to do for the next 15 years.
“And I think we have the best chance over here.”
Soto will also receive special benefits from the Mets including a suite for his family, extra tickets to home games, and security.
The Yankees were not willing to match those benefits.
“When you get to those numbers, you’re in a stratosphere,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said.
“And so you got to make a judgement call that this is really going to matter to the Mets and be something that’s going to drive our goal to win championships.
“To get a player of his caliber is really unusual. So you got to step a little bit further than you would expect.”
Ultimately, alongside receiving the best offer from the Mets, Soto believed in the team’s vision for the future.
He shared a desire to build a dynasty with the Mets and how he appreciated their focus on players’ families.
“The Mets are a great organization and what they have done in the past couple of years, showing all the ability to keep winning … to try to grow a dynasty is one of the most important things,” Soto said.
“What you were seeing from the other side was unbelievable. The vibes and everything. The feel and the future that this team has, it has a lot to do with my decision.”
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