Why did Juan Soto choose the Mets over the Yankees? Of course, it all came down to the money. The Mets offered him a massive deal. Along with the deal, the Mets have also provided him with some advantages that the Yankees could not. Advantages like no deferred payment and a suite for the family. The Yankees have provided no player with a private suite. So they were not about to break this tradition for Juan Soto.

Although money and these advantages were the deciding factor, there were also some ‘small issues’ with the Yankees. The issue might be small, but it could have affected Soto’s decision. According to Jon Heyman, apparently, during a game earlier in the season, a Yankees security guard booted one of Soto’s parents from a designated area in the stadium. These things must have played into the decision-making process, especially since family was involved.  

The Yankees booting Soto’s entourage may have affected Juan Soto’s decision   

Later in the season, the same security guard allegedly tossed Soto’s driver and chef out of another restricted area, forcing them to wait outside in the rain. The move would have signaled disrespect towards Soto’s family and other figures close to him. No wonder it must have left a negative impression on the Yankees. While it’s hard to say for certain how much this played into Soto’s decision-making process, you can bet that incidents like these stick with players. After all, when looking to sign with a team, the slugger would consider how the organization treats the people who support him off the field, too. 

In an interview with Scott Van Pelt, ESPN analyst Jeff Passan shed light on why he believes Soto ultimately chose the Mets over the Yankees. Passan’s take? “I think Juan Soto looked at the New York Mets’ future … and believed that the Mets have a better future than the Yankees.” While the Yankees have been dominant in recent decades, the Mets’ route likely offered Soto a vision of long-term success that he couldn’t ignore.

The Mets’ future is brighter, more ambitious, and, perhaps most importantly, focused on sustained success, not just short-term championship contention. Passan also made another crucial observation about the marquee signing. He thinks Cohen is only starting to gun for success.

The record-breaking deal is only because of the Mets’ owner

The 26-year-old woke up Monday as the first player in baseball history to have an offer like this on the table. The Mets made it happen, and it wasn’t just about money. In fact, as baseball insider Jon Heyman pointed out, nobody in the sport went all-in to sign Soto until Mets owner Steve Cohen actually did it. Soto’s 15-year, $765 million deal with escalators that could push the total to around $800 million if everything goes as planned is now the biggest contract in sports history.  

Not only did it top the Yankees’ offer of $760 million over 16 years, but it also beat the deal Shohei Ohtani received a year ago by $60 million. And here’s the fun part: Soto got all of that without the majority of his compensation being tied up in tax-friendly deferrals. This is unlike Ohtani’s contract, which was structured to lower its real-dollar value by spreading out payments. This is all possible because of one man, the Mets’ owner, Steve Cohen. At 68 years old, Cohen has an estimated net worth of $21.3 billion, which is more than double that of any other Major League Baseball owner. 

The financials may not exactly add up for the Mets to justify such a deal, but Steve Cohen doesn’t need them to. Last year, the Mets generated $393 million in revenue, according to Forbes estimates. As the head of Point72 Asset Management, Cohen built his fortune, an estimated $21.3 billion. In short, Cohen’s approach to spending isn’t grounded in the same metrics as other owners. While most teams would hesitate to make such a massive commitment without immediate financial returns, Cohen has the financial clout and the long-term vision to make the Mets a top-tier team.