Juan Soto reveals other MLB teams' offers exceeded Mets' bid during free agency
Just over two months ago, MLB star Juan Soto signed a historic contract. A couple of weeks ago, he joined the New York Mets in Florida for spring training.
The 15-year, $765 million deal he signed was the most lucrative contract in professional sports history.
In mid-February, Soto still seemed to be processing the life-changing contact.
“I’m still thinking about it and everything. It’s unbelievable,” he said at the time. “I’m really happy for that. I’m really happy to know where I’m going to be for the next 15 years.”
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But Soto revealed he received offers from other teams that exceeded the eye-popping amount the Mets presented.
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“The Mets didn’t offer the most money,” Soto said, speaking in Spanish. “Some teams offered more.”
Soto later said the Mets’ culture was one of the reasons he decided to leave the Bronx in favor of Queens.
SNY reported “multiple teams, including Boston, had a willingness to exceed the high offer if they knew Soto would agree.”
Soto will wear his coveted No. 22 jersey with the Mets. Third baseman Brett Baty wore that number the past three seasons. But Soto gave him a brand new SUV during spring training to convince the infielder to switch to No. 7.
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“No, you didn’t,” Baty said as he smiled and walked outside the team’s spring training complex to see Soto near a Chevrolet Tahoe that had “Thanks for #22” scrawled on the back window.
Baty, the 12th overall pick by the Mets in the 2019 draft, was still driving the same 2016 Toyota 4Runner he had in high school.
“I really appreciate the number,” Soto told him. “It’s the first one I ever wore.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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