Why Aaron Judge 'wasn’t too surprised' Juan Soto left Yankees for Mets

Some members of the MLB community were stunned to learn this past fall that All-Star outfielder Juan Soto accepted the most money available to him in free agency and left the New York Yankees to sign with the New York Mets. 

Yankees captain Aaron Judge spoke with reporters on Monday and revealed that he "wasn’t too surprised" by Soto's defection to Queens. 

"I think that’s where he wanted to be," Judge said about Soto picking the Mets, Newsday's Erik Boland shared. "I think that’s where it’s best for him and his family. He got a pretty nice deal over there. You can’t say no to that. I’m happy for him. He got a good deal, he’s going to be in a great spot. It’s going to be great having him in town and be battling back and forth for quite a few years. I’m definitely happy for him."

Mets owner Steve Cohen ultimately outbid Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and gave Soto a 15-year, $765M contract that could reportedly exceed $800M. The contract included an opt-out after five years with no deferred money. Additionally, Cohen included a suite for the Soto family at Citi Field after Steinbrenner wasn't willing to offer one because big-name Yankees players such as Judge have previously paid for their suites. 

That said, Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media raised some eyebrows when he revealed on Dec. 10 that an industry observer told at that time that "Soto just didn’t want to be a Yankee." Soto’s mother reportedly helped convince the 26-year-old to choose the Mets in free agency partly because of what Cohen recently referred to as "the family thing."

Meanwhile, the Yankees responded to their disappointment in losing Soto by acquiring noteworthy contributors such as ace Max Fried, closer Devin Williams, outfielder Cody Bellinger and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. 

"They are going to add such a different dynamic to this team," Judge said about having Bellinger and Goldschmidt on the roster. "It really lengthens out our whole lineup. When you have those guys batting in the middle of the order, a lot of good things are going to happen. You can’t replace a guy like Juan Soto, but you bring in guys like this that are All-Star, MVP-caliber players, you’re doing a pretty good job."

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Yankees third among the betting favorites at +800 odds to win this year's World Series. To compare, the Mets were tied for fourth at +1200 odds. 

Soto and Judge's meeting as opponents for the 2025 Fall Classic could be a must-see television event after they fell short of winning it all with the Yankees last year.