After months of speculation, superstar free agent Juan Soto made history on Sunday night by signing a 15-year $765 million deal to join the New York Mets. And shortly after the deal was made official, Mets play-by-play broadcaster Gary Cohen didn’t mince words about just how massive the move truly is for years to come.
Now, Soto will be joining a Mets team that has long been regarded by most as the little brother to the New York Yankees. But that very well may no longer be the case, as Gary Cohen expects for Soto to “change the conversation” around the Mets organization.
“It is certainly the biggest and most important transaction the Mets have ever made,” said Cohen during an appearance on SNY minutes after the news of Soto’s signing broke. “The only one that even is in the same ballpark is the trade for Mike Piazza in 1998. The Mets have never dipped this deeply into the free agent market in terms of the caliber of player and youth. The closest to that was the signing of Carlos Beltran, but Beltran wasn’t 26 years old when the Mets signed him.
“Juan Soto just turned 26. He is arguably the best hitter in baseball. If not, he’s top three. And did I mention he’s just turning 26 and he’s got seven years under his belt? He is a marvelous, marvelous offensive player and he completely changes the conversation around the Mets coming off a National League Championship Series appearance. They are automatically the favorites in the National League East regardless of what they do the rest of the offseason.”
“It is the biggest and most important transaction the Mets have ever made”
Gary Cohen reacts to the Mets’ massive acquisition of Juan Soto: pic.twitter.com/bmaJQ549Fw
— SNY (@SNYtv) December 9, 2024
This signing for the Mets of course doesn’t guarantee that Soto will be a quick fix to the Mets organization. The team arguably underperformed for much of the season last year before sneaking into the postseason with a late push in September and ultimately getting hot at the right point, leading to an NLCS appearance.
But in an era where the Los Angeles Dodgers have flexed their wallets more than anyone, the Mets have now made a statement that owner Steve Cohen is committed to spending whatever it takes to go toe to toe with them in the National League and build a winner.
[SNY on X]
