The baseball world was stunned last December when Juan Soto signed a record 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner ultimately offered a reported 16-year, $760 million package to Soto, but Steve Cohen’s Mets offered a higher average annual value ($51 million vs. $47.5 million) with no deferred money. Major League Baseball is a business, and Soto simply made a better business decision for him and his family.
Yankees fans are notorious for expressing their feelings. They have even turned against their own at times, including Aaron Judge. Countless Yankees fans reacted with anger, some even issuing threats on social media and message boards. Through it all, Soto has been remarkably level-headed. He has even publicly welcomed the challenge of facing a hostile crowd. In a recent interview with the New York Post, he said, “It’s going to be 50,000 against one. They’re going to try to get on me… Whatever they do, they have the right to do it. I’m just going to… try to focus on my game.” Soto knows what he’s walking into and is “expecting the worst” from Yankees fans, as he put it. That humility alone deserves respect.
Soto’s return to Yankee Stadium should be viewed as a chance to celebrate last season’s success more than anything. There’s plenty of reason for Yankees fans to thank Juan Soto, rather than jeer him. He gave the Yankees an extraordinary year, batting .288 with 41 homers, leading the majors with 128 runs scored, and finishing third in MVP voting. His pennant-clinching homer in Game 5 of the ALCS sent the Yanks to the World Series for the first time since 2009. Sure, booing can be cathartic, but it’s worth asking what does it really accomplish? Soto proved his greatness in the Bronx, and now the best response is to tip your cap and move forward.
One response
Well said