Major League Baseball’s offseason focused largely on the top free agent prospect in this year’s class, Juan Soto of the New York Yankees.
With Soto’s lottery pick grabbing most of the headlines in the weeks leading up to his decision, the Yankees were focused on just that one move.
The Yankees ultimately passed up the chance to bring Soto back next season, as he signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets.
While many would think that losing Soto is the worst case scenario, former MLB shortstop Mark DeRosa believes otherwise.
“I think it’s a blessing in disguise that he’s wearing a Mets uniform,” DeRosa said via MLB Network’s “X.”
DeRo thinks the Mets signing of Juan Soto could be a good thing for the Yankees.What do you think? pic.twitter.com/14nfzlcrKt
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 15, 2024
Soto was the best free agent this year, and rightfully so, after the numbers he put up in his first year with the Yankees in 2024.
In 2024, Soto appeared in 157 games for the Yankees, batting .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI and a .989 OPS.
While it’s unclear why DeRosa stated it was a blessing in disguise that Soto joined the Mets, one can speculate on some possible reasons.
The Yankees have avoided paying more than $700 million per player and can now spread that money around to fill multiple holes in their lineup that could get some attention.
Another possible reason is that Soto is currently in the prime of his career, and while he’s worth a big contract now, he could very well fall to the latter half of a 15-year deal.
The Yankees will have to move on with life after Soto as they try to make another long postseason run in 2025.
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