New Report Says Juan Soto Wanted To Stay With New York Yankees Before Signing With Mets

Juan Soto returned to the Bronx for the first time as a member of the New York Mets this past weekend, setting off a firestorm of reactions. One of the most surprising, however, was a new report saying that he never wanted to leave the New York Yankees in the first place.

Soto famously signed the largest contract in baseball history in the offseason; 15 years and $765 million. At least. As one of the most feared hitters in the sport, and his youth, he doesn't turn 27 until late October, it wasn't a complete surprise that he earned a record-setting deal.

Yankees fans were understandably disappointed that Soto spurned the organization for their crosstown rival, and they let him hear it as soon as they could. As loud as they could.

READ: Juan Soto Gets Blasted By Boos In Return To Yankee Stadium, Fans Turn Their Backs

But is it possible that Soto wanted to finish his career in the Bronx after all?

NEW YORK - Juan Soto of the New York Mets poses with his new uniform after his introductory press conference at Citi Field on December 12, 2024. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Juan Soto Might Have Preferred Staying With Yankees

Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay said on his radio show, "The Michael Kay Show," that he'd spent hours of time ahead of Sunday's game talking to high-ranking officials in both the Yankees and Mets clubhouses about Soto. And had some surprising conclusions after his conversations.

"People that I talked to on the Mets side, and they can deny it publicly, because, of course, that’s what they have to do, he is very, very glum around the clubhouse," Kay said. "He does not have a hop in his step. He does not smile much. I’m not gonna say he is unhappy. Because how can you be unhappy with a $765 million contract? But money is not a guarantee that you are gonna be comfortable somewhere.

"Why isn’t he happy? It comes down to this. I’ll say it now, and it will be denied. Of course, it has to be denied. But I have talked to people that I respect. He wanted to return to the Yankees," Kay said. "That was his preference. His family said, ‘You are going to the Mets.’ His family felt very comfortable around Alex and Steve Cohen. And they said, ‘You are going to the Mets.’ And he is a guy that listens to his family. So I think at this point, he is probably a bit down, pouting a bit. And then to come into Yankee Stadium with three straight sellout crowds, at a place that was his Field of Dreams. It became his Field of Nightmares over the weekend."

We'll never get confirmation of this from any of the parties involved, for obvious reasons. But Kay is essentially part of the Yankees organization and surely has many contacts in the Mets organization. And it's doubtful he'd completely make something up just for a story. 

Soto's only been on the Mets for a few months though, and settling in could take time. While he has struggled a bit of late, it's not as if his performance on offense thus far has been disastrous. He's also been extremely unlucky; his expected weighted on base average is .435, while his actual is just .359. The quality of contact has been there, the results haven't. 

Similarly, his batting average on balls in play in 2024 was .298. So far this year? Just .258. Still, he's been a well above average hitter so far, with a 132 weighted runs created plus, where 100 is league average. 

There's nothing about his numbers to say that he's not hustling or not trying because he's unhappy.

So why would he have wanted to stay with the Yankees? Well, there's no arguing it's a more "historic" franchise. There's a mystique to putting on the Yankees uniform, playing at Yankee Stadium, along with the exposure and attention that brings. He might have also enjoyed playing with Aaron Judge, creating the fearsome 1-2 punch in 2024. Even though the Mets have had plenty of success and routinely draw big crowds, they're still clearly the second team in New York.

Soto might have preferred the Yankees, but there's 765 million reasons for him to be very happy in Queens. Especially if they keep winning.