Everything Juan Soto said to challenge Mets during press conference, including shots at the Yankees

For the New York Mets fans who needed to see it to believe it, Thursday was an exciting day. Juan Soto was officially introduced at Citi Field as the newest member of the Mets. It's a thrilling day for the organization and its fans, as the newest highest-paid professional athlete donned the orange and blue for the first time.

Predictably, Soto's first presser as a Met was filled with questions about why he chose the team, his relationship with his former club, and what is to come. Here's everything Soto had to say at that press conference.

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Everything Juan Soto had to say in first press conference as a Met

Soto began the festivities by expressing just how excited he is to be a Met. Yes, anyone would be excited after signing a contract worth $765 million, but Soto seemed particularly excited about the idea of joining a family type of atmosphere, which he believes that the Mets will provide him and his family.

The million-dollar question once Soto did pick the Mets was why exactly he chose them. Financially, the offer from the New York Yankees didn't appear to be that far off. Soto's answer was clear: He believes that the Mets have the ability to not only win now, but to win long-term.

The Mets have a stable hierarchy in place with owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and manager Carlos Mendoza, all of whom figure to be in Queens for years to come. In addition, the Mets have a strong core, a decent farm system and a whole lot of money to spend. It isn't hard to see why he believes that the Mets have the ability to win for a long time.

Soto once again went on about how the Mets' messaging and views about family resonated with him. If he was going to sign anywhere for 15 years, he'd want himself and his family to be comfortable, and understandably so. He believes that the Mets are a perfect match in that regard.

When asked about what he thought of the Mets lineup, Soto was complimentary but also left room for improvement. He made sure to compliment Francisco Lindor, calling him "one of the best leadoff hitters in the game." He also said, "I feel like we can even field a little bit more, but definitely, it looks really good so far." Could a Pete Alonso reunion be in store? Adding his big bat to this lineup would certainly help in a big way.

What opened the eyes of most is that Soto said that he has not spoken to any of his former Yankees teammates since the postseason concluded. Not once before, during, or after this process. The fact that Yankees captain and fellow co-superstar Aaron Judge appears to have never called Soto is definitely interesting.

At the end of the day, Soto wasn't signing a one-year deal. He was signing a deal that'd cover likely the remainder of his playing career. He wanted to make sure that not only his family was comfortable, but that he'd have a chance to win for as many as those years. The Mets were the team that he felt gave him the opportunity to compete year after year, which was his ultimate goal.