Yankees Fall Short as Juan Soto Joins the Mets

On Sunday morning, between 9:30 and 10 a.m., New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman submitted the team's final contract offer for superstar outfielder Juan Soto. This offer would have made history as the richest deal in North American professional sports.


However, Cashman soon discovered it wasn't enough. That night, Scott Boras, Soto's agent, informed him that Soto had decided to sign with the New York Mets instead.


Cashman then had the difficult task of informing Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and president Randy Levine that Soto had turned down the Yankees' 16-year, $760 million offer for a slightly better deal with the Mets.


"Hal Steinbrenner really stepped up to find a way to retain Juan Soto, and I'm certainly proud of his efforts," Cashman said Monday at the Hilton Anatole, the site of this year's winter meetings. "Certainly went well beyond what I would have expected."


A few minutes later, on the other side of the hotel, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns declined to comment on Soto, as the agreement was not yet official.


Cashman acknowledged the efforts made to keep Soto in pinstripes, stating, "I would just say Hal went above and beyond to try to find a way to keep Juan Soto in pinstripes and continue to keep him a part of our mix as we move forward and take our shot. But there's a lot of different ways to figure this thing out, and so we're just going to have to figure it out a different way."


When asked if Soto going to the Mets made the loss sting more, Cashman responded, "I'd rather him not be in the American League East. I guess, you know, pick your poison. Ultimately, listen, the Mets got a great player. So, congratulations to them."