Why Juan Soto's comments are a boon for the Mets
Plus, Paul Blackburn struggles and Max Kranick shines as the Mets drop another spring training game...
What’s up with the Mets? 🌴
The Mets suffered a 5-4 walk-off loss to the Nationals on Friday, falling to 4-8 in Grapefruit League games this spring as a result (box)
RHP Paul Blackburn endured a tough outing on the mound, allowing five hits, two home runs and three earned runs with two walks without a strikeout over 2 1/3 innings
RHP Max Kranick relieved Blackburn and continued his impressive spring by recording five outs with two strikeouts while not allowing a run and giving up just one hit over 1.2 innings of work
RHP José Buttó delivered a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh, while RHP Chris Devenski and RHP TJ Shook also both fired scoreless innings
OF José Azocar’s strong spring continued as he went 2-for-2 with a run scored and a RBI
The Mets added on two runs in the sixth inning when a misplayed Brett Baty line drive scored two runs with the bases loaded
C Francisco Alvarez reached base twice with a walk and an RBI single, and SS Francisco Lindor was also on base twice with a single and a walk
OF Juan Soto revealed in an interview that the Mets were not the highest bidders for his services, and that other teams offered more money (Abriendo Sports)
The Mets are judged to have the 12th best farm system in all of baseball, according to the latest rankings (MLB Pipeline)
Injury Updates 🏥
OF Brandon Nimmo (sore right knee) took live BP on Friday after his MRI came back clean, and he could be back in the lineup on Sunday
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (4-8) at Marlins (3-7)
Where: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium - Jupiter, FL
Starters: LHP David Peterson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Max Meyer (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
When: 6:40 PM EST
Where to Watch: N/A
Juan Soto’s latest comments are a testament to what the Mets are building…✍️
Juan Soto made some significant waves on Friday. However, it wasn’t because of his stellar exploits on the baseball diamond.
No, in a clip from an interview with Abriendo Sports - the full interview is expected to be released on Sunday - Soto revealed that the Mets were not the highest bidders in his blockbuster free agency pursuit.
Rather, other teams offered more money than the team from Queens, before Soto ultimately decided to make the Mets his new home after signing a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal.
It wasn’t revealed in the clip what teams offered the most money, or what those figures were. But Soto did reveal that the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Red Sox, and the Blue Jays were the other teams to make the final cut.
To add further context, SNY’s Andy Martino reported on Friday that “multiple teams,” including Boston, were willing to exceed the highest offer if they had a guarantee Soto had interest in signing there.
Now, it is also important to note that Soto’s comments lacked overall context. It was just a very short clip intended for social media, after all. It is possible Soto was offered more average annual value rather than total value.
It’s also possible the Mets would’ve increased their bid if necessary as well.
However, none of that really matters because Soto is a Met anyway. What does matter, though, is the fact that Soto essentially made it known that he didn’t just sign in Queens because of the money.
While we can’t get into Soto’s head, we can read the tea leaves from everything that has been said by Soto and other players and come to the conclusion that the fact the Mets are intent on building a world-class baseball organization from top to bottom has obviously become a huge selling point.
Under the ownership of Steve Cohen and his family, the Mets have been busy transforming themselves into an elite baseball destination, one that prioritizes the players and their families. Just go back to when the Mets signed future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer in free agency. Steve, along with his wife Alex, were actively involved in those negotiations, and the entire Scherzer family was blown away by the new-look Mets family room and the organization’s efforts to create and foster a family atmosphere at all times.
Soto clearly put a premium on being able to have his family attend games and be comfortable while doing so. And, while the Yankees weren’t willing to do so, the Mets happily gave Soto and his family use of a luxury suite, up to four premium tickets for home games, and personal security.
Those little things matter a great deal to players.
Of course, it isn’t just about family.
The Mets, led by president of baseball operations David Stearns, are making huge strides on the field too. They are investing substantial sums in innovation and technology to ensure that they are always a step ahead of their competitors. The team’s pitching lab in Port St. Lucie, which is rapidly becoming one of the organization’s crown jewels and biggest selling points, is perhaps the main example of that. Players will want to go to a place that can help them squeeze every last drop of potential, while giving them the tools to improve and enhance their skills on the way to becoming better ball players.
Money helps too, obviously. Soto will no doubt have taken note of Cohen’s never-ending resources, as well as his burning desire to win multiple championships in Queens. Any player remotely interested in winning will want to go to a team that will never stop in its pursuit of building a perennial winner. Soto will no doubt be aware that, if the opportunity presents itself, the Mets will go after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. next winter if it makes them a better team.
And Soto can also now be used as a valuable weapon in future free agency talks with other players. Soto can lean on his positive experiences and his reasons for choosing the Mets to help lure other stars to Queens and go ring chasing. That point can’t be overstated.
Players talk, and if other notable players hear that the Mets are a first-class franchise that goes above and beyond for players’ families, that they invest significant amounts in innovative technology in order to give every single player in the organization an edge, and that everything they do is geared towards winning now and in the future, then that will only encourage them to consider the Mets as a real, legitimate destination.
Of course, all of the above is nice, but we all know that winning is what really matters. And, while the Mets have made massive strides across the board on and off the field, they now have to go out and win a World Series. And Soto will be key to that.
But, for now, Soto’s comments can be taken as a positive affirmation that the Mets are heading in the right direction, are closing the gap on their competition, and are building an organization that we can all be proud of.
Around the League 🚩
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will undergo diagnostic tests on his throwing elbow after experiencing some discomfort (MLB Network)
The Yankees have been hit by a raft of injuries this spring, and Giancarlo Stanton will return to New York for a third round of PRP injections in his elbows
Mariners ace George Kirby will begin the year on the IL with shoulder inflammation after an MRI showed no structural damage
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. revealed that he asked the Blue Jays for 15 years and less than $600 million (ESPN)
Alex Bregman hit a home run and finished with two RBIs and two runs scored as the Red Sox piled on 20 runs against the Marlins
Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer to help the Tigers beat the Orioles, 11-7, on Friday
I love what our organization is doing. Major leaguers are going to make their money, and they know it. They'll gladly give up a couple bucks on the margins for a great situation and a chance to play for a title every year.
Plus, it's just the right thing to do. The more positive, the better. There's enough negativity around without having to create more of it.