Did Juan Soto’s decision all come down to a free suite?
Soto has altered the baseball landscape after agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets on Sunday night. It’s the highest professional sports contract in history.
Soto reportedly also received a $75 million signing bonus, an opt-out after the fifth year, escalators which can raise the contract to $805 million, and a no-trade clause.
The Mets even added to the contract a free suite for Soto’s family. That’s one thing, bizarrely, the Yankees didn’t do.
Why wouldn’t the New York Yankees give Juan Soto a free suite?
The Yankees ended up reportedly offering a 16-year, $760 million deal to Soto with a $60 million signing bonus. After his only season in the Bronx, during which the team reached the World Series, Soto decided to go to crosstown rival Mets.
There was one thing, though, the Yankees wouldn’t offer — a free suite for his family. Why would the Yankees refuse to add a perk like a suite in the contract while they were willing to shell out three-quarters-of-a-billion dollars?
“The Yankees shouldn’t be faulted for bidding a whopping $760M, but they wouldn’t budge on the suite. The Yankees felt they couldn’t give a suite to Soto when Judge pays for his suite, and even Derek Jeter paid. They were willing to discount a suite but not alter their precedent,” New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports.
Did the Yankees not offering a free suite cause Soto to spurn their offer for the Mets? We might never know but it’s an incredible “what if?” to think about.