The New York Mets introduced Juan Soto on Thursday after he signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765-million deal — the largest contract in professional sports history.
Soto spurned the New York Yankees for Queens after spending just one season in pinstripes. During his year with the Yankees, Soto helped lead the team to their first World Series appearance since 2009 and finished third in American League MVP voting behind teammate Aaron Judge.
Judge and Soto formed one of MLB’s greatest hitting partnerships. The duo combined for a 1.074 OPS, with 99 home runs, 346 hits, 250 runs scored, 253 RBI, and 262 walks.
While the Yankees pursued Soto and ultimately offered a 16-year, $760-million contract that he declined, Judge revealed last month he hadn’t spoken with his former teammate during the process.
“I haven’t talked to him at all. I think the best thing is to really give those guys space,” Judge said, via ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. “And I talked to him all season. He knows how we feel about him. And I think the most important thing is now let him do his thing with his family, pray about it, talk with people and come to the right decision for him and his family. So I haven’t talked to him at all.”
At his introductory press conference, Soto addressed whether he had communicated with Judge or any other former Yankees teammates before signing his massive contract.
Juan Soto reveals he hasn’t talked to any of his former New York Yankees teammates
Soto told reporters that he has yet to speak with any of his former teammates, including Judge.
“I haven’t talked to any of those guys,” Soto said, via New York Post’s Justin Tasch. “We talked to them through the playoffs, end of the playoffs, but after that [in this] process, I haven’t talked to any of those guys.”
Juan Soto has not spoken to any of his teammates from the Yankees since the World Series 👀pic.twitter.com/9NzNMrc99d
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) December 12, 2024
Soto added that he plans to reach out to Judge eventually.
“Yeah, why not? Definitely, at the end of the day, we’re still friends. We’re still cool,” Soto noted. “Everything that happens is just business, but the relationship we created last year is gonna stay there forever.”
Soto’s first game as a Met back in Yankee Stadium is set for Friday, May 16.
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