Spring training camp at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie is officially underway for the New York Mets. With that comes the club's highly anticipated unveiling of prized offseason acquisition and superstar slugger Juan Soto on the diamond.
Soto's arrival on the scene reportedly already turned heads, and reasonably so, considering he joined the Mets on the largest contract in professional sports history. His decision to leave the New York Yankees for their crosstown rival after one wildly successful season has been well chronicled. Yet, of course, the topic came up again when the standout outfielder met the National League New York squad's media members in Florida.
Asked how his experiences with the Yankees taught him about the New York limelight, Soto shared some valuable and candid insight. Nevertheless, his choice of words was interesting, to say the least.
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Different vibe? Juan Soto wishes he could take one shot at the Yankees back
"[New York] is a different vibe," Soto told reporters. "You have so many eyes on you. ... Broadway and everything, everybody wants to come in and beat the New York teams."
Albeit inadvertent, Soto's comments suggest he didn't just spend a year in the Big Apple with the Yankees. And while New York is unlike other cities, his time in major American sports markets extends beyond Gotham. The 26-year-old represented the Washington Nationals for four-plus seasons before getting traded to the San Diego Padres.
Moreover, Soto discussed his belief in the Mets and the franchise's long-term prospects and ability to contend for a World Series. When doing so, he may have accidentally taken a shot at the Yankees:
"You need a whole team to go all the way," Soto stated. "You look around at the teams that win the World Series ... [it's] teams that have experience, youth. So I think it takes more than one guy, and when you see the Mets and the roster ... I think they have a chance to be in it for a long time."
Intentional or not, Soto probably wishes he didn't roast the Yankees. Because if things don't go well for him and the Mets, it could be taken out of context and used against him.