Brian Cashman confirms just how cheap Yankees were in rumored Juan Soto grudge

By now you know the story. The New York Mets signed Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million deal, thus stealing him from the crosstown rival Yankees. Hal Steinbrenner's final offer came close, but Steve Cohen was willing to match and then some. Frankly, this was a battle the Yankees were never going to win, as Cohen made it his mission to hand Soto a blank check.

By all accounts, Soto enjoyed his time with the Yankees, and playing alongside Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. However, as is the case in any high-profile free agent chase, some less-than-kind details of Soto's time in the Bronx have been leaked to the media. One sticking point in particular is that the Yankees wanted Soto to pay for his own private suite. This is the Yankees, after all, and those suites are in demand.

However, for a player of Soto's stature, one would expect the Yankees to oblige, as most teams do with their star players. Not New York! Per Brian Cashman, a suite is not guaranteed for Yankees star players.

“Some high end players that make a lot of money for us, if they want suites, they buy them," Cashman said at the MLB Winter Meetings, per Bryan Hoch.

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Juan Soto wanted a suite, and the Yankees wouldn't give him one

I would not go as far as to say this sticking point is why Soto left the Yankees. Had they offered the most money, Soto would be wearing pinstripes in 2025. Nonetheless, every element matters when the offers are so close, and by all accounts so lucrative.

If anything, the lack of free player suites for family and friends is a bad look for future free agents and trade candidates. Heck, it's a bad look for players currently on the team. Aaron Judge is the Yankees captain, as was Derek Jeter. You're telling me they had to pay for their own suites, given all they've done for the organizations?

This is not a matter of affordability, but principle. Baseball is a business, and Soto and Judge made a lot of money for the Yankees last season. Yes, they are paid their worth, but surely the Yankees can afford to let a couple suites go to waste, especially for Hall-of-Fame caliber talents.

For an organization which makes money hand over fist, the Yankees were surprisingly cheap in this instance.