The New York Yankees went “above and beyond” in their bid to keep Juan Soto, according to general manager Brian Cashman.
The star outfielder, who helped propel the Yankees to the World Series in 2024, opted to move to their crosstown rivals the New York Mets after hitting free agency despite being offered $760 million over 16 years to remain in the Bronx.
The Mets’ offer – which includes an escalator clause – could rise to $805m and saw them eventually win out over not just the Yankees, but also the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox.
This comparison to Juan Soto’s history making contract 😧 pic.twitter.com/FEePyonXFt
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 9, 2024
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‘We have to figure out a way without Juan’
Soto’s decision has been hailed as a significant shift in the balance of power in New York, with the Mets previously seen as the lesser franchise, and Cashman conceded Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner had pushed as far as he could to keep hold of the 26-year-old.
“I would just say Hal went above and beyond to try to find a way to keep Juan Soto in pinstripes and continue to keep him a part of our mix as we move forward and take our shot,” Cashman said in comments reported by The Athletic.
“There’s a lot of different ways to figure this thing out, and so we’re going to have to figure out a different way without Juan.”
Cashman was told about Soto’s decision via a phone call from his agent Scott Boras on Sunday evening.
“Certainly disappointed the process took us where it went, but I’ve been doing this a long time,” he added.
“At times, things go your way. Other times, they don’t. But the one thing that doesn’t change and doesn’t stop is the challenges are always, ‘All right, what’s next? What’s the next opportunity?’ We have a lot of different areas to fix on this team.
“We have vacancies from free agency, and we’re exploring trades as well as free agency and comparing that to our internal options that we could promote. So those are decisions we have to make. So whether you pull it down or it doesn’t go your way, you still have to get after it and continue to fight through every option that’s in front of you.
“Ultimately, we plan on defending our American League title and trying to find a way to win the World Series in the near term, meaning 2025.”
Juan Soto celebrating his record-breaking contract 🍾
(via eliansoto_10/IG) pic.twitter.com/jTcjCnVyoX
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 9, 2024
Cool Cohen wins the day
The Yankees’ loss is the Mets’ gain and a real statement of intent from owner Steve Cohen.
The New York Post reported Cohen held a meeting with Soto, Boras and others in the player’s circle in Florida on Friday, after which he believed the player would not be heading to Queen’s – but not due to financial reasons.
Cohen told the Post: “I was being logical. When you have [Aaron] Judge, it’s tough to beat that. Juan was great. But what they had, I didn’t know how to solve that.
“Juan’s going to be very happy with the Mets.”
Cohen also dismissed the idea that New York is now a Mets town, adding: “The Yankees are the Yankees. I respect that.
“This is not about the Yankees versus the Mets. It’s about competing for a player. We both can exist in New York. There’s plenty of room.”
Richest deal in sports
Soto’s deal is the richest in the history of professional sports, topping the one given to two-way star Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani agreed terms on a $700m, 10-year contract last winter but 97 per cent of his money will be deferred for 10 years, lowering its realtime value.
Dominican star Soto has been one of the standout players in the game since making his debut for the Washington Nationals in 2018.
He was a key factor in their World Series success a year later before moving to the San Diego Padres, and then the Yankees.
Across seven seasons, he has hit .285 with 201 homers and 592 RBIs.
