Juan Soto’s camp is trying to quell controversy following comments the superstar made during his introductory press conference with the New York Mets on Thursday.
Soto surprisingly revealed that he hadn’t spoken with any of his former New York Yankees teammates during the offseason before signing his record-breaking $765 million contract.
“I haven’t talked to any of those guys,” Soto said, according to the 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.”
These comments raised eyebrows as some wondered if Soto had encountered difficulties with his teammates during his only season in the Bronx.
The revelation came a month after reigning American League MVP and former teammate Aaron Judge acknowledged that he hadn’t contacted Soto during free agency, saying he was intentionally keeping his distance.
“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.”
During Thursday’s press conference, Soto indicated 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 said. “Everything that happens is just business, but the relationship we created last year is gonna stay there forever.”
Related: Did New York Mets’ Juan Soto ‘Bye, Felicia’ former New York Yankees teammates?
Juan Soto’s camp clarifies why four-time All-Star hasn’t talked to former New York Yankees teammates
According to USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the lack of communication has a simple explanation: Soto changed his phone number.
“The reason there was no communication between Juan Soto and his former Yankee teammates simply is that Soto changed his cell phone number,” Nightengale reports on X. “He was bombarded by outside calls during his free agency and wanted privacy. Soto now is reaching out to former Yankee teammates.”
The reason there was no communication between Juan Soto and his former Yankee teammates simply is that Soto changed his cell phone number.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 13, 2024
He was bombarded by outside calls during his free agency and wanted privacy.
Soto now is reaching out to former Yankee teammates.
In his lone season with the Yankees, Soto led the team to their first World Series appearance since 2009 and finished third in AL MVP voting. His impressive statistics included 41 home runs, an AL-leading 128 runs scored, a .989 OPS, and a 7.9 WAR.
Soto will make his return to Yankee Stadium as a Met on Friday, May 16.