The New York Yankees had acquired Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres at the start of the 2024 campaign for his final season before becoming a free agent. The left-handed slugger had an outstanding year with the Yankees, helping clinch the American League pennant and get into the World Series after 15 long years.
Yet, Soto decided not to extend his stay with the franchise even though they were willing to go to an unprecedented extent financially to keep him in the Bronx. He eventually opted for Queens as he joined crosstown rivals, the New York Mets, on a 15-year, $760 million deal, the largest ever in the history of the game.
MLB Analyst Says ‘Selfish’ Juan Soto Harbored No Loyalty
On Friday night, Soto returned to Yankee Stadium for the first time since signing for the Mets as the two teams squared off for the opening game of the maiden Subway Series of the year. The four-time All-Star received a hostile reception from the home fans, who currently have a perception that he had betrayed them in the offseason.
MLB analyst David Samson pointed out that the 26-year-old never really had any loyalty to the Yankees and his decision to join the Mets was purely driven by money. Despite having elite skills, Samson termed Soto to be a “selfish” player and not a true leader that can galvanize an entire team.
“Juan Soto, himself, was very clear. He gave a list to Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner,” he said on his podcast. “Steve Cohen said yes to everything. Juan Soto was a Met. There was no loyalty to the Yankees. He didn’t care. There was no love between the teammates. Juan Soto wasn’t the most popular Yankee.”
“Soto is not exactly the glue of a clubhouse,” he further explained, adding, “No love lost when he left the Padres, when he leaves the Yankees, when he leaves the Nationals. I’m not yucking on his skills. I’m merely saying that selfish players, who want their money, who want their stuff, who want to be treated differently, don’t always end well.”
Samson also noted that the fear regarding the Yankees’ lineup failing to cope without Soto turned out to be quite baseless, given the stellar performances from their captain Aaron Judge this season. He feels the Mets have not really had a massive boost to their potential as a team with the addition of the southpaw hitter.
Juan Soto’s first game back in the Bronx
Yankees fans don’t even wanna look at him
pic.twitter.com/7xPVuFRZls— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 16, 2025
“You want to boo? Boo. It’s all good,” Samson told the Yankees fans, continuing, “Meanwhile, your team, as you know, is in first place. You’re four games ahead in your division. You’re the only team in the AL East with a winning record at 25-18. You’ve got the greatest player on the planet not named Ohtani in Aaron Judge.”
“The Mets are in first place. They’re two and a half games over the Phillies,” Samson elaborated. Clearing the air on the Yanks’ current state, he mentioned, “I can’t imagine anyone at the moment is saying the Yankees are worse off without Soto. I can’t imagine anyone saying the Mets are World Series contenders with Soto versus without. They were World Series contenders last year.”
The Yankees beat the Mets 6-2 on Friday night to take the opening encounter of the three-game series, with Soto failing to get a base hit in the game, although he earned three walks and a stolen base, besides scoring a run for his team. The second contest between the two sides will be played on Saturday evening.
