Mets' Steve Cohen Was Not Convinced He Did Enough in Pursuit of Juan Soto

Steve Cohen was not 100% convinced that Juan Soto was coming to Flushing Queens.

Dec 12, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets owner Steve Cohen speaks to the media during a Juan Soto introductory press conference at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Hours before the New York Mets and Juan Soto agreed to the largest contract in sports late Sunday night, owner Steve Cohen was not convinced he did enough to lure the slugger to Flushing, Queens.

Cohen told ESPN's Jeff Passan and Buster Olney that when he was having dinner on Sunday night at Vitolo, a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a friend, he was not fully convinced he did enough in trying to sign the generational talent.

Even after Cohen tried to highlight the family atmosphere around the franchise that has sold free agents in the past to the All-Star outfielder, he still was worried that was not enough.

However, when a not-so-confident Cohen received a phone call from Soto's agent Scott Boras during his dinner, the tone of the conversation and Cohen's confidence quickly turned around with both sides coming to an agreement on a record-setting 15-year, $675 million contract.

"Usually I'm pretty good at reading the signals. This one I totally missed," Cohen said to ESPN. "Scott called me, and I realized, 'Holy s---. This could happen' I didn't expect it. I had no expectations it was going to happen. I was blown away."

Just like Cohen, the entire baseball world was blown away about Soto signing with the Amazins' after spending one season playing for the New York Yankees, who offered him a 16-year, $760 million deal.

Soto was traded to the Yankees from the San Diego Padres last December and had a career year in his lone season for the Bronx Bombers.

The 26-year-old slashed .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBI in 157 regular season games.

Now with Soto officially a Met after his introductory press conference on Thursday at Citi Field, Cohen and the Mets front office are looking forward to seeing if Soto can help deliver a championship or multiple to the franchise after a dramatic free agency process.