Carroll’s Column: Juan Reality Compared To Another

The richest athlete in sports, Juan Soto, was introduced as a Met last Thursday at Citi Field - Image Credit: George Napolitano/Latino Sports

NEW YORK, NY — The $765 million agreement between Juan Soto and the New York Mets took place just over a week ago, and it’s safe to say, the dust has finally settled across the Big Apple… 

Mets fans celebrated the signing of Juan Soto as if it were V-E Day. WFAN and SNY air personality Sal Licata, who had been beseeching Mets owner Steve Cohen to sign Soto as soon as he became available, claimed the day the news broke Soto would be a Met was the happiest day of his life; even surpassing his wedding day and the day his daughter was born. Granted, that was entertainment shtick, but he did crystallize the exuberance of the Flushing faithful. 

I get the schadenfreude Mets fans feel over having a key Yankees player leave the Bronx to come to Queens on their own volition. For too many years, Mets fans had to quietly stew while watching Yankees owner George Steinbrenner sign the top-tier free agents while the Mets settled for scraps. When the Yankees were signing Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson, the Mets were selecting Tom Hausman and Dyar Miller.

Yes, the Yankees have had higher payrolls than the Mets have until Cohen bought the team from the Wilpon family. It is time, however, to end this puerile nonsense about how the Yankees are “the big brother” while the Mets are “the little brother.” Both teams have long been multi-billion-dollar corporations so enough with these infantile terms.     

At the risk of being a killjoy, while Soto is a talented ballplayer, he is not a modern-day Willie Mays or Roberto Clemente. He is not a Gold Glove outfielder; his arm is average at best; he does not possess speed; and he is not known for hustle. 

I am old enough to remember when the Mets signed Pirates outfielder Bobby Bonilla, who was the Juan Soto of his day, as a free agent in 1991. Bonilla was in his prime having completed six stellar seasons in Pittsburgh, and the Bronx native seemed on his way to Cooperstown. Things did not work out for Bobby Bo in Queens.      

At his Thursday introductory press conference, Soto said he had not been in touch with any of his now ex-teammates, nor did he thank the Yankees fans or management. His lack of graciousness was not a good look. 

Both Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, spoke glowingly about how the Mets went out of their way to show concern not only for Soto, but also for his large family. Steve Cohen’s wife, and his Mets co-owner, Alex Cohen, was particularly praised by Boras.    

In retrospect, the Yankees should have used Dominican native and former Mets general manager Omar Minaya, who grew up in Corona, to serve as their liaison to Soto and his family. Minaya is now a Yankees executive, and he has plenty of charm and charisma. He could have swayed Soto to stay in the Bronx.

More from Juan Soto’s introductory press conference at Citi Field

The Yankees may have inadvertently motivated Cohen to go all out to acquire Soto. The Yankees own 80% of the New York City Football Club of Major League Soccer. Two weeks ago, NYCFC broke ground for their new home, Ethiad Park, which will be located across 126th Street from Citi Field.      

It is no secret Cohen would very much like to break ground on his side of 126th Street for a Hard Rock Casino and Hotel, as well as an entertainment center under the banner of Metropolitan Park. He has gotten a mixed reception, at best, from local community groups and Queens politicians. Cohen knows even the biggest skeptics like to be seen on the side of winners. There is nothing like winning a World Series in New York. A November parade down the Canyon of Heroes is a very persuasive tool.      

Soto’s agent, Boras, may infuriate team owners because he is adept at getting lucrative contracts for his clients, but I have always liked him. He is witty, candid, and intelligent (few people have passed the California Bar Exam, and its state pharmacy boards. He is also candid if you ask him a question.     

I found myself standing next to Boras between the various media scrums which are typical of baseball hot stove press events. Boras knew Cohen was an avid art collector and it was not a coincidence he kept referring to Soto as the “Mona Lisa.” 

Boras chuckled when I asked him if he had an art analogy for another of his clients, free agent first baseman Pete Alonso who has played his entire professional career with the Mets. “He’s a Chagall!” Boras responded. Marc Chagall was a legendary painter whose stained-glass work can be seen in the United Nations. There are also numerous Chagall paintings on display at the Museum of Modern Art. Marc Chagall, like Alonso, loved New York City.     

Boras told me he expects Alonso to be signed to a team sooner rather than later now that the Soto employment question has been resolved. He also conceded Alonso means more to a New York baseball team than one outside of this market. Boras gave a hearty laugh when I said about Alonso, “You have to admire a guy who grew up in Florida who is willing to pay New York State income taxes, and probably congestion pricing fees to boot.”     

My joke about New York economics prompted Boras to discuss the contract of a famous baseball player who is not his client, Shohei Ohtani. “The media has inflated the value of his Dodgers contract. They fail to properly discount the present value of his deferred annuity payments.”     

I asked Boras if he thought states would remember to collect the income taxes when Ohtani’s deferred payments start being doled out in nine years, and he is retired and living in a state without income tax such as Florida or Nevada. “The California Franchise Board (the Golden State’s tax collection authority) is not going to forget. I doubt the other states will either,” he replied.  

Boras, Mets CEO Cohen, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, and Soto comprised the dais of speakers at Thursday’s press conference.

I asked Mets senior director of communications Ethan Wilson, who has emceed hundreds of press conferences, if he had butterflies in his stomach about this one, given both the luminaries, and the substantial number of television viewers and radio listeners who would doubtlessly be tuning in. “You better believe it!” he candidly replied. Ethan, you managed this one like a pro.    

Yankees acquire right-handed closer Devin Williams and sign left-handed starter Max Fried

The Yankees pivoted to improving their pitching after failing to retain the services of Mr. Soto by acquiring reliever Devin Williams and ace starter Max Fried.

Former Mets pitcher, and current SNY personality, Jerry Blevins praised Max Fried on SNY’s “Baseball Night in New York” last week. “Max was a former teammate of mine. He is both a great pitcher and person. He even taught me a few Hebrew words!”     

David Wright’s No. 5 set to get retired by Mets in July of 2025

The Mets will induct David Wright into their Hall of Fame, and formally retire his #5 uniform on July 19 prior to their 4:10 game with the Reds.

No one can quibble with the Mets going all out to honor their former captain.     

2024 Heisman Trophy Award Presentation in the Big Apple

The Heisman Trophy, like the New York City Marathon, gets minimal attention from our local sports media even though honoring the best players in college football should be a big deal. If nothing else, all four finalists: Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, Miami QB Cam Ward, Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty figure to be drafted highly by NFL teams.      

Cam Ward said he was aware of the quarterback needs of both the Jets and Giants, but he denied he would be talking with any real estate agents while he was in the New York area.      

Travis Hunter, who was named the winner of the 2024 Heisman Trophy, currently plays on both offense and defense for the Colorado Buffalos, said he would gladly do both in the NFL. He laughed when I asked him if he would get paid twice the rookie salary if he did that.     

I asked Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty, who has been the biggest thing to happen to Idaho since the advent of the potato, how he wound up there. “I have asked myself the same question!” he said jokingly. “Actually, they did a great job recruiting me.” He told me he has family in New York, and seemed intrigued when I told him the Columbia Lions would have won the Ivy League title outright had he been on the team. 

The four Heisman finalists were each presented with a luxurious AXIA watch (axiatime.com). Axia founder John Kanaras is a former star University of Pennsylvania lacrosse goalie who faced scoring legends, the Gait Brothers (Paul and Gary) back in the day. 

2024 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium: Nebraska vs. Boston College

New York’s annual holiday week college bowl game, the Pinstripe Bowl, will take place at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, December 28, at noon.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will travel east to take on the Boston College Eagles.      

Travel to Canada special giveaway by Air Canada and Destination Canada 

Air Canada and Destination Canada (Canada’s national tourism bureau) are trying to entice Americans to enjoy that nation’s winter charms from skiing, ice skating, tobogganing, to taking in an NHL game north of the border, by giving away fifty pairs of tickets good for travel anywhere in the Canadian provinces. You can register by logging onto snowdaycanada.com before December 20.      

2024 New York Produce Show in NYC

The annual New York Produce Show brings all facets of the agriculture industry to New York City to tout the benefits of fruits and vegetables. The outbreak of E. Coli in vegetables as cucumbers and carrots during 2024 was a concern. The problem is no one is sure where the contamination sources are. Some blamed soil; some blamed hydration; others have pointed to machinery involved in slicing and packaging. The one area of agreement was the fruits with hard exteriors as watermelons, pineapples, and citrus fruits were safe to consume.     

Speaking of citrus fruits, Bronx-based Baldor Foods introduced its ready-to-go seasoned fruit chunks as part of its popular Urban Roots line. 

The New York Produce show also helped dispel seasonal misconceptions. Mike Hacker, the VP of sales and marketing at upstate New York’s Fowler Farms, told me apple cider is produced all year, and not just the fall. Its Honeycrisp Apple Cider is quite tasty. Likewise, another juice Empire State juice producer, Red Jacket Orchards, was touting its Lemonade Zinger, which should not be considered just a summer beverage. The Vitamin C in lemonade is helpful in warding off illness during the traditional winter peak flu season. 

You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.