New York Yankees fans are still processing the fact that they lost star Juan Soto to their bitter crosstown rival.
Yankees radio analyst Suzyn Waldman said she’s not surprised the New York Mets signed Soto to a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract. Waldman appeared Tuesday on WFAN’s The Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata Show, and the co-hosts asked her reaction to the Mets’ huge free-agent announcement.
“Well, you know the world isn’t ending here,” Waldman said.
“I’m not going to be foolish enough to say, ‘Well, we’re better off.’ That’s absolutely dumb. But life will go on. Now we’ll see what Brian Cashman (Yankees GM) does.
“I think Juan Soto is as good a hitter as I’ve ever seen … that being said, I was just afraid that they were going to break the bank for this guy and then not do anything else.”
Instead, the Mets broke the bank, figuratively speaking, in giving Soto the most lucrative contract in U.S. sports history. Many critics ridiculed the deal; ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan called it an “exceptional overpay.”
“I was a little bit surprised Hal [Steinbrenner, Yankees chairman and managing general partner] went this high,” Waldman said, regarding the Yankees’ reported 16-year, $750 million offer to Soto.
Yet Waldman said she was impressed by Mets’ owner Steve Cohen’s determination to land Soto. She recalled anecdotes she heard from MLB insiders when the hedge fund manager purchased the Mets in 2020, and it reminded her of someone from Yankees lore.
“People were telling me that they got the feeling that they were all sitting there … and Steve Cohen was like saying, ‘Just tell me what the high number is and I’ll beat it.’
“[Cohen] is this generation’s George [Steinbrenner].”
Steinbrenner served as principal owner and managing partner of the Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He, like Cohen, was not afraid to spend big to win. But he also had a deep passion for the sport, and Waldman sees the same trait in Cohen.
“The one thing that Steve Cohen … just watching and listening to him, George had that passion that Steve Cohen has,” Waldman said.
“That’s a passion I don’t see in most owners.”
Suzyn Waldman says she sees something in Steve Cohen that she hasn’t seen since George Steinbrenner.
Listen to her full interview with BT and Sal: https://t.co/n5HhBJWD5C pic.twitter.com/jMBaf03Hiz
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) December 10, 2024
Waldman then gave her “wish list” for the Yankees offseason (“I’ve got ideas,” she said).
She said the Yankees should “go get Christian Walker right now.”
“The other person I’d go get immediately, immediately … is Nolan Arenado. … There’s a guy who desperately wants to be in a pennant chase and wants a ring.”
Waldman also pointed out the team needs to rebuild their bullpen.
The Yankees did land a star Tuesday, agreeing to terms with left-hander Max Fried on an eight-year, $218 million deal.
[WFAN Sports Radio on X]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.