The Major League Baseball offseason was primarily focused on the top free agent of this year’s class, Juan Soto of the New York Yankees.
With the Soto sweepstakes taking up most of the headlines in the weeks leading up to his decision, the Yankees were only focused on that one move.
The Yankees eventually missed out on bringing Soto back next season as he signed with the New York Mets for $765 million over 15 years.
While most people would think that losing Soto is the worst-case scenario, former MLB player Mark DeRosa believes differently.
“I think it’s a blessing in disguise that he’s wearing a Mets uniform,” DeRosa said via MLB Network on ‘X.’
DeRo thinks Juan Soto signing with the Mets could wind up being a good thing for the Yankees. What do you think? pic.twitter.com/14nfzlcrKt
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 15, 2024
Soto was this year’s top free agent, and rightly so, after the numbers he put up in his first year with the Yankees in 2024.
In 2024, Soto played in 157 games for the Yankees, batting .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and a .989 OPS.
While it is unclear why DeRosa stated that it’s a blessing in disguise that Soto joined the Mets, one could speculate some possible reasons.
The Yankees avoid paying over $700 million to one player and now can spread that money out to fill the multiple holes in their lineup that could use some attention.
Another possible reason is that Soto is currently in the prime of his career, and while he is worth the big contract now, he very well could fall off towards the latter half of the 15-year contract.
The Yankees will have to move on in life after Soto as they try to make another long postseason run in 2025.
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