Juan Soto Says Yankees Fans Still 'Have a Spot in My Heart' Despite Deal With Mets

At least for Soto, it's all love.
Juan Soto during a press conference on Dec. 12, 2024.
Juan Soto during a press conference on Dec. 12, 2024. / Talkin' Yanks / Twitter / Screenshot

Superstar outfielder Juan Soto shocked the sports world on Sunday when news broke that he and the New York Mets had agreed to the largest deal in professional sports history. The free agent had been courted by teams for weeks—the Yankees, his former home, included—but ultimately, the Mets won out (and to the tune of $765 million, no less). Soto has now officially ditched his pinstripes to move from the Bronx to Queens.

Of course, the 26-year-old's departure comes as positively brutal news to Yankees fans, who were understandably hoping to hold onto the slugger for longer. In his single year in the pinstripes, Soto notched a career-high of 41 home runs, as well as 109 RBIs.

But while fans might be upset with him right now, Soto himself has no hard feelings toward his former supporters.

"I want to say thank you," Soto said Thursday, asked if he has a message for Yankees fans. "I actually just want to say thank you to them. They really showed me all the love and everything that they have last year. They were right there, day in, day out. They really have a spot in my heart at the end of the day. Tough that we couldn't get it together and try to be back and stuff like that, but [I will] always appreciate what they did for me in 2024."

It's a nice message, for sure, but if the last few days are any indication, I'm just not so sure Yankees fans will take to it quite well.


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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.