David Ortiz makes Red Sox sound like good-guy ex after Juan Soto signs with Mets

In the wake of Juan Soto's decision to sign a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets, the teams he turned down didn't exactly cover themselves in glory. Well, really one team, to be specific: While Soto was dreaming of World Series titles and wining and dining with owner Steve Cohen, New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman was taking passive-aggressive shots at his former outfielder while Yankees fans were burning his jersey in the streets. Even allowing for some understandably hurt feelings, it wasn't the best look for a fan base that has a habit of this sort of thing.

But it didn't have to be that way. The Yankees weren't the only team that lost out on the Soto sweepstakes, after all; their arch rival, the Boston Red Sox, were reportedly in it until then end as well, eventually dropping out due to an unwillingness to meet the 26-year-old's record asking price. But did Boston then turn around and start blaming Soto for taking the money offered to him on the free market? No — in fact, they did basically the opposite.

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David Ortiz takes the high road after Juan Soto jilts Red Sox for Mets

Red Sox legend David Ortiz had every reason to be hurt by Soto's decision. Boston made him an integral part of the team's free-agent pitch, positioning Soto as the next in a long line of Dominican stars. But Big Papi didn't allow some professional rejection to goad him into going low. Instead, he had nothing but good things to say about Soto and his decision.

“We wanted him in Boston,” Ortiz told reporters Saturday, according to the New York Post. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”

Ortiz and Soto have a long-standing relationship, and Papi was unwilling to spoil that in order to score some cheap points. “It’s great,’’ the Hall of Famer said of Soto’s contract. “It’s well deserved, what he got, and we’re gonna continue cheering for him. He’s a great kid. You guys are gonna enjoy Soto for a while here.’’ 

We'd hope that Yankees fans were taking notes here, but if there's anyone the Bronx is least likely to listen to, it's David Ortiz. But Ortiz's stance is likely to make Boston a more attractive destination to star players in the long run, while New York is busy creating as hostile an environment as possible.