“Mets Got Scammed”- Steven Cohen’s Juan Soto Gamble Called into Question as Padres Gets Dragged in Bitter Debate

Another Day, Another Hitless Night: Do you think the Juan Soto experiment has already flopped in Queens? Well, the Dominican was supposed to be the answer. The bat that would finally ignite the Mets’ offense and justify one of the expensive gambles of the offseason. Instead, each passing game brings more frustration and fewer hits. Once hailed as a generational talent, Soto is now mired in a slump that’s raising eyebrows across the league. And it’s not just fans who are starting to panic. An MLB insider also believes the Mets’ high-stakes investment might already be veering toward bust territory.

Remember the time when Steven Cohen’s Mets lured Soto across town with a record-shattering $765 million contract in December. It was believed they were getting the final piece of a championship puzzle. Instead, 55 games into Soto’s debut season in Queens, all they’ve gotten is a prolonged slump and growing buyer’s remorse.

Hence, MLB insider Gary Sheffield Jr thinks the Mets instead got Soto, who was debuting with the Padres in 2022, and not someone who was a top performer for the Yankees. “The Mets are getting San Diego Padres’ Juan Soto,” he wrote.

Well, Soto’s performance with the Yankees stood in stark contrast to his time with the Padres, both in numbers and impact. Yes, he was productive in San Diego, batting .275 with 35 HRs and 109 RBIs in 2023. But his contributions often felt hollow, especially as the Padres failed to reach the postseason. Moreover, critics pointed to his passive plate approach in key moments and his underwhelming numbers with runners in scoring position.

But with the Yankees in 2024, Soto elevated his game to another level. He hit .307 with 41 HRs, matched his 109 RBIs, and posted a .989 OPS. That was his best since 2020. More importantly, he thrived in clutch situations and embraced the pressure of New York, helping the Yankees reach the World Series and finishing third in AL MVP voting.

So, when the Mets offered the record-breaking deal for Soto, it was expected that he would replicate his Yankees stint and not the Padres’ one. But it has gone opposite. For starters, Soto is batting just .224 with 8 home runs and 25 RBIs. Enough for the fans to wonder if the Mets accepted a wrong gamble here!

Fans are questioning the Mets about Juan Soto’s deal

Is there still any time or scope left for Soto to perform for the Mets? While it is too early to comment, fans seem like concluded on the Dominican slugger. “Mets got scammed. Drawing a bunch of walks and hitting 30 bombs a year while being a subpar defender and base runner ≠ generational talent,” wrote a fan, responding to the post of Gary Sheffield Jr.

Mets got scammed? Well, a bit harsh. But 8 HRs and 25 RBIs fall short of expectations for a player once billed as a generational talent. Soto’s average has plummeted 61 points below his career mark, and he hasn’t homered since May 9, a drought spanning 75 plate appearances. Worse yet, he’s just 7-for-59 (.119) in his last 15 games and hitting an abysmal .130 with runners in scoring position! We are not sure if the Mets got scammed, but it’s surely a billion-dollar misfire.

“The Mets are getting exactly what every big slugger has given them the first year of a big contract Piazza-1999 Beltran-2005 Lindor- 2021 That people thought this wouldn’t happen is the problem,” wrote another fan. Remember the initial slump of Francisco Lindor with the Mets? Yes, Soto’s rocky start with the Mets feels eerily familiar to the one Lindor endured when he first arrived in Queens.

Back in 2021, Lindor stumbled out of the gate after signing his $341 million mega-deal, batting just .194 through his first 40 games. But over time, he found his rhythm and re-established himself as one of the game’s elite shortstops. Soto, now facing a similar storm of scrutiny, could be following that same path. The Mets are accustomed to these initial slumps.

“He went off in September, so Mets fans have that to look forward to,” a fan chimed in. Yes, Juan Soto is a man of the postseason. While his regular season is going low this year, fans are hoping that the postseason might be the time for his comeback.

Back in 2019, Soto hit .277 with 5 home runs, 14 RBIs, and a .927 OPS across 17 games. That powered Washington to its first-ever World Series title. He delivered one clutch hit after another, including a go-ahead homer off Gerrit Cole in Game 1 of the World Series and a game-tying blast off Clayton Kershaw in the NLDS. So yes, the Mets should look forward to this probability.

Isn’t it too early to conclude on Soto? Maybe because when the name is Juan Soto, you shouldn’t write him off. One X user shared a brief remark, “So far.” It holds. Soto seems to be going down, but he might just be one game away from getting back to his best. He got off to a very slow start in 2023 as well, hitting just .202 through the first month of the season. But he finished the season batting .275 with 35 homers, 109 RBIs, and a .930 OPS. Let’s see how it goes this year.

“Don’t think people realized how much Soto benefited from the lineup protection that Aaron Judge offered him,” another netizen wrote. Rewind when Soto said, “I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me. I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone, fewer intentional walks, and things like that. I was pitched differently last year.”

During his 2024 season with the Yankees, Soto thrived in a lineup where Judge’s presence behind him often compelled pitchers to challenge him more directly, leading to more favorable pitches and fewer intentional walks. In contrast, with the Mets, despite having formidable hitters like Pete Alonso in the lineup, Soto has observed a shift in how pitchers approach him, lacking the same level of protection he experienced with Judge. This change has coincided with a noticeable dip in his performance. 

While there are a few reasons for Soto’s performance slump, it is getting too costly for the Mets. There’s still a good time left in the regular season, though. And there’s no reason why Soto can’t turn the tables. Are you backing him?