NEW YORK – This was not a pretty sight for Yankees Universe.
On the other side of town, Juan Soto beamed in his brand-new Mets jersey while a parade of Mets’ employees applauded, and a line of Mets’ officials offered their praise.
Those loyal to the Bronx pinstripes won’t care to hear Soto’s high opinion of the Mets’ future, or how much more comfortable Soto and his family feel in Queens.
This was a rare Yankee defeat, and “a huge day for the Mets,’’ said owner Steve Cohen, who thanked Soto and his agent Scott Boras “for believing in what we’re building.’’
Even in losing one of the most elite hitters in generations – someone they only had for a season – the Yanks’ championship goal remains unchanged.
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They’ll just have to find another way, and maybe learn something about themselves from this process.
Was it simply that Soto took the higher offer, $765 million over 15 years with escalators and an opt-out clause vs. $760 million over 16 years?
“I’ll be eager to hear what made this decision for him,’’ said Mets GM David Stearns, who termed it “not just a baseball decision but a family decision’’ for Soto.
During a celebratory Thursday afternoon at Citi Field, the concept of the Mets’ bright future, and Soto’s place in it, became a theme.
According to Boras, the Yankees made no missteps in their negotiations.
“They stepped up,’’ Boras said of owner Hal Steinbrenner and company. “They really made themselves known in this process.’’
So, if it wasn’t completely about the respect shown Soto by having the top dollar offer, what else put the Mets over the top?
At that record-setting MLB salary figure, Boras advised Soto to “spend the time you need to talk about these other considerations’’ beyond the contract amount.
Soto’s large family – what Boras termed “the Supreme Court of Soto’’ – played a major role in his decision, which “came down to the last day,’’ according to Soto.
Several times, Cohen’s wife, Alex, was credited for her important role in this process. A philanthropist, Alex Cohen has a Latin heritage, comes from a working-class family.
But at one point during the negotiations, Stearns felt the Mets had less than a 50% chance of landing Soto.
“We knew he had a good experience (in the Bronx),’’ said Stearns, who “talked a lot about our approach to roster building’’ with Soto, and about the Mets’ system.
The Dodgers, Red Sox and Blue Jays were also in the running, and Soto’s team wouldn’t define a runner-up in this race – just that the Mets had won it, with a convincing pitch about their future together.
Boras laughed a little, recalling how the Mets completed their initial video presentation to Soto last month.
Next to the Tom Seaver statue outside of Citi Field, there was a superimposed statue of Soto.
Maybe the Yankees should’ve superimposed Soto’s plaque in Monument Park. Maybe they did – who knows?
And who knows what, other than the top bid, the Yanks might’ve done to land Soto?
“I feel like they did everything that they had in their power to help me out, to bring me back,’’ said Soto. “I had (another) four teams doing the same thing,’’ but ultimately, “I think we have the best chance here.’’
