Did an overzealous stadium security guard cost the New York Yankees a chance at re-signing Juan Soto?
That is one theory floating around in the wake of the 26-year-old slugger spurning the Yankees for the New York Mets.
An incident at Yankee Stadium early in the 2024 season “allegedly upset” Soto enough that it required an apology from the team, and the Mets were able to use that to their advantage in negotiations, according to a report from the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
Aside from offering Soto the largest contract in all of North American sports, the Mets may have used a very specific personal touch to woo the hottest free agent across town.
“(The Mets) were aware that while Soto liked being a Yankee and loved having Aaron Judge protect him in the lineup and lead them all in the clubhouse, he allegedly was upset early in the year by an overzealous Yankees security guy who disallowed a family member and his chef/driver from certain areas,” Heyman wrote.
Soto apparently shrugged off the incident when asked about it in a group interview after the World Series, Heyman added.
The Mets emphasized their family-friendly atmosphere in their meeting with Soto by having not just billionaire owner Steve Cohen at the meeting, but also his wife…
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