Why Carlos Rodon thinks Yankees are 'more complete' after Juan Soto signed with Mets

The New York Yankees responded to losing star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Mets in free agency this past December by acquiring big names such as ace Max Fried, outfielder Cody Bellinger, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and reliever Devin Williams. 

Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon recently suggested that Soto's defection could prove to be a blessing for a team that's looking to do more than make a second-straight trip to the World Series. 

"The way the funds were allocated, I think it made our team more complete," Rodon said about how the Yankees responded to Soto's departure, as shared by Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "Juan’s a great hitter, but for roster construction, I think we’re better off now. Would I still take Juan Soto? Yeah. But I wouldn’t want to give up Bellinger, Fried and Golschmidt to get Soto back. That would be hard."

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner made a serious attempt to hold onto Soto by offering the slugger $760M over 16 years. Soto instead accepted a 15-year, $765M contract that could reportedly exceed $800M to make the move to the Mets. While the Mets entered Friday at 34-22, the 35-20 Yankees haven't missed Soto much throughout the spring. 

ESPN stats show that Bellinger ended Thursday's MLB action third on the Yankees with 32 RBI, third with a .258 batting average and tied for fourth with eight home runs. Golschmidt was second on the team with a .347 average and an .899 OPS at that time. Fried went 7-0 with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP over his first 11 starts with the Yankees. 

Meanwhile, Soto recently heard boos from unhappy Mets fans amid his ongoing slump. He has slashed a shocking .224/.352/.393 with a .745 OPS, eight homers and 25 RBI over his first 55 contests with the Amazins. 

Of course, it's far too early to know if Steinbrenner will ultimately regret not matching the contract that Mets owner Steve Cohen handed to Soto in December 2024. That said, one can't blame Rodon for feeling that the Bronx Bombers are a better overall team than they were when they lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in October.