Juan Soto isn’t looking back.
After leaving the New York Yankees for the New York Mets on a record-setting $765 million deal, Soto made it clear at this year’s All-Star Game that he has no lingering regret about the move. The five-time All-Star, speaking with reporters in Philadelphia, said the Yankees chapter is behind him.
"I'm good, thank God," Soto said, translated from Spanish to English by Phillip Velez on X. "I don't have any mindset of missing anything, the past is the past.
Of course, they're still my friends. We stay in touch, we talk, and we chat, but thank God, I'm good where I am right now."
Soto had the chance to remain in the Bronx after the Yankees’ run to the 2024 World Series, but he ultimately landed with their crosstown rival in Queens. The Mets won the bidding war in free agency following the 2024 season.
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported that the Yankees made a 16-year, $760 million offer to the left-handed slugger before Soto chose the Mets.
Once Soto was off the board, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman moved quickly, adding left-hander Max Fried and trading with the Chicago Cubs for former NL MVP Cody Bellinger.
The two New York clubs have gone in very different directions at the break. The Mets sit at 40-57 and own the second-worst record in the NL, while the Yankees are 54-42, in first place in the AL Wild Card race and three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
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What makes the signing interesting is the role the Jets appear to have in mind for him. Enagbare is expected to be used more as a dependable run defender than as a consistent pass-rush threat, which means the fit matters as much as the name on the transaction wire. With T'Vondre Sweat, David Onyemata and Darrell Jackson Jr. already in the mix, the Jets are clearly building with a specific need in mind, and the next question is how much pressure Enagbare can actually add when the game plan asks for more than just setting the edge. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Trade Idea Targets A Fix For Their Biggest Defensive Hole
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It is still just a speculative concept, not a confirmed move, but it speaks to where the Jets are right now. They have been active in trying to reshape the roster, and a low-cost deal for a player who might be squeezed out in Tampa Bay would fit the kind of opportunistic approach teams often take when they believe a clear need is staring them in the face. [Read more 🡒]