Yankees Staffer Shares Team's Real Thoughts on Juan Soto

Losing slugger Juan Soto to the New York Mets was seen as a huge blow to the New York Yankees, but is that really the case?

May 16, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; A fan holds a sign during a first inning at bat against the New York Yankees by New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (not pictured) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees lost out on the opportunity to keep superstar hitter and infielder Juan Soto last December when he chose to sign a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets. The Yankees should be ruing the day they lost out on the opportunity, right?

Not according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Heyman wrote earlier this week that, in an interview, an anonymous Yankees staffer asserted that the team is 'definitely' better off without Soto.

The numbers may back up the claim. In lieu of Soto, the Yankees signed veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who is having a sensational season with a .339 batting average, and left-handed pitcher Max Fried, who thus far is boasting a 1.29 ERA for the Pinstripes. Should the Yankees have signed Soto, they likely would not have been able to afford Goldschmidt and Fried's contracts.

In contrast, Soto hasn't been having the season everyone had hoped. His batting average sits at .243, nearly a career-low and his on base percentage (.374) and slugging percentage (.429) are career lows. While there is plenty of time in the season for those numbers to improve, they're not an amazing start for a player who inked the biggest contract in professional sports in December.

Several reports indicate that Soto is unhappy with his decision to move boroughs. At last weekend's Subway Series at Yankee Stadium, Soto was met with jeers and boos from the crowd, though they also offered him a standing ovation. While he gave appropriately congenial answers to press following the Mets' Friday night loss, by Sunday, Soto was reportedly visibly surly and chose not to meet with media after an 8-2 blowout by the Yankees.

Some speculate that Soto is itching to be back with his old team, while others suggest he's just warming up and will be on a hot streak when the teams meet again over Independence Day weekend.

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