The Aftermath: Juan Soto to the Mets

 

In case you missed it, the New York Mets signed Juan Soto to the largest free agent deal in American professional sports history. He signed a 15 year, $765 million deal with the team in Queens as he leaves the team in the Bronx after just one season.

The Yankees were optimistic that Soto would end up re-signing with them, but in the end they were wrong. Ultimately, Soto was after the money and loyalty didn't really matter when this sum of money was on the table. 

While some say Soto was only after the money, others say he wanted his own team. On the Yankees, he would always be outshined or sharing the spotlight with Aaron Judge, but on the Mets, he is the main attraction. Both sides of the story could be true, but we will never truly know the real answer. 

After Steve Cohen bought the Mets in 2020, fans were waiting for him to make a huge splash and four years later, he finally did. Acquiring Soto doesn't solve the puzzle for the Mets however. They still have a lot of holes in their roster. The pitching rotation and bullpen needs serious improvement even after the addition of Clay Holmes. 

First base is still also a huge question as Pete Alonso has yet to re-sign with the Mets. All in all, Soto will be great for the Mets, but he doesn't guarantee them a ring. They still have to go through the Dodgers at the end of the day. And the NL East isn't a walkover either with the Phillies and Braves still top contenders. 

Now let's look at it from the Yankees perspective. For the Yankees, they now have the ability to be more flexible this offseason without the $750+ million burden on one player. They've already went out and signed three all-stars this offseason: Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, and Devin Williams. 

The three salaries of these superstars doesn't even add up to half of what Soto is making over 15 years in Queens. Fried gives the Yankees the nod as one of the best rotations in the MLB. Williams gives the Bronx Bombers a solid and reliable closer to slam the door when the tough gets going. 

And don't forget about Bellinger who already has an MVP on his resume as well. By signing Soto, the Yankees would probably not have had much flexibility to make these blockbuster moves. Now, they are able to go out and get not only these guys, but more to come. 

Like the Mets, the Yanks still have some holes as well. The Yanks have already announced that Bellinger will be taking over in center field, so first base still remains a question. In fact, both corners of the diamond remain lingering questions. Hot names going across the board are Christian Walker, Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, and more. 

Adding another one or two of these guys, and the Yanks are in prime position for another World Series push. Sure, there are definitely some cons to losing an MVP type player in Juan Soto, but as a Yankees fan as I look more and more at the pros and the aftermath of the deal, it really wasn't as catastrophic as some are reporting.