Mets owner Steve Cohen (left) shakes hands with Juan Soto (right) while president of baseball operations David Stearns (center) looks on.
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QUEENS, NY — Juan Soto admitted that no clear favorite existed throughout his free-agency process. So much so that his decision to sign with the New York Mets over his former club, the Yankees, and three other suitors “came down to the last second.”
“I really had a good time with the Yankees,” Soto said during his introductory press conference with the Mets on Thursday at Citi Field. “I really enjoyed every bit of my Yankees experience. I can’t even describe it. It was incredible. It was really tough to go away from it. [My family and I] tried to figure out how things were going to be, here and there, and as a family, we decided on the Mets.”
Besides the $765 million contract and the on-field product that had Soto talking about building the Mets into a dynasty — the obvious reasons why he ultimately jumped across town — the 26-year-old four-time All-Star was also drawn to Queens by the family-first feeling that trickled down from Steve Cohen and his family.
“They are the right family: A family that wants to win, but they definitely want to take care of their players and their families and stuff,” Soto said. “That’s one of the things I always like. It was interesting for me to look forward to that.”
Soto’s family has taken on a considerable role throughout his free-agent production. While the Cohens preached accommodations for his loved ones both inside and outside the ballpark — an effort led by Steve’s wife, Alex — reports surfaced in recent days that owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman would not offer Soto’s family a suite in the Bronx ballpark and he would instead have to pay for it. Another report accused an overzealous security guard at Yankee Stadium barring the Soto family from certain areas.
It very well could have been one of the…
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