It appears nearly everyone in the baseball world has shared their opinion on Juan Soto turning down the New York Yankees’ 16-year, $760 million offer this offseason in favor of signing a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets.
However, not much has been heard from Soto’s former Yankees teammates. The only update regarding them came when Soto revealed he hasn’t been in contact with any of them since the World Series ended, reportedly due to him changing his phone number.
It’s fair to assume that no one understands Soto’s value to the team in 2024 better than his former teammates. They experienced his brilliance on the field firsthand and interacted with him daily in the clubhouse, giving them unique insight into his impact both on and off the field.
Regardless of Soto’s significance, the Yankees must now focus on moving forward. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton emphasized this point during a recent interaction with a young fan.
Bleacher Report’s TikTok account shared a video on December 17 featuring Giancarlo Stanton interacting with fans. At one point, a young fan asked him, “Are you sad that Soto is on the Mets? Are you sad?”
Stanton responded, “You’d wish he was with us. Are you sad?”
When the kid looked down and nodded, Stanton reassured him, saying, “We’ll be alright. We’ll be alright.”
Stanton clearly remains confident in his team, despite Soto’s departure. With the significant amount of money New York now has available to pursue other superstar players—funds that were initially intended for Soto—his decision may ultimately turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
