Inside The Mets

Juan Soto thought Mets weren't a 'good fit' for this reason

New York Mets slugger Juan Soto had one clear concern about signing with the Mets when he was still a free agent.

Grant Young

Feb 24, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) looks on against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Feb 24, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) looks on against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The biggest rollercoaster ride of this past MLB offseason was the Juan Soto sweepstakes, which stole headlines on a daily basis all the way until Soto eventually decided to sign a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.

All signs indicate that Soto's ultimate decision came down to the Mets and the New York Yankees. One reason the Yankees were always considered the favorite to re-sign Soto was because of how much he loved playing with 2024 AL MVP Aaron Judge.

Having Judge hitting behind Soto in the Yankees' 2024 lineup ensured opponents couldn't just pitch around Soto, which was a huge factor in Soto's monster season last year.

Read more: Mets star Juan Soto gets candid about playing with Yankees' Aaron Judge

And in a March 25 article from Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci, it was revealed that one of Soto's biggest concerns about signing with the Mets pertained to who would hit behind him in their lineup.

After detailing a meeting with Soto, his agent Scott Boras, and the Mets' front office, Verducci wrote, "This was the meeting in which [Soto] gave Cohen reasons why the Mets did not seem a good fit, especially with a lack of lineup protection."

Ultimately, the Mets did enough to quell Soto's lineup concern. Perhaps one aspect of this decision came down to the Mets saying they were keen on re-signing slugger Pete Alonso, which was finalized about two months after Soto's signing.

And Soto confirmed Alonso was factored into this decision when saying, "A lot of times," when asked how much Alonso's name came up during free agency conversations with the Mets.

"We're trying to make sure that we have the cover of Pete. He's one of the best pure power hitters in the league, so we're trying to have some of that protection," he continued, per SNY. "Whenever we have that lineup, I know with him we're going to have big depth. Definitely it's great to have him over here and it's a huge piece for the team."

Now that Soto's biggest Mets concern is off the table (at least for this coming season), he'll be free to swing freely with Alonso in the on-deck circle.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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