Tag: New York Yankees

Cody Bellinger is married to Giancarlo Stanton’s ex. Will Yankees teammates be awkward?

Well, this could be awkward.

Hey, here’s quite the story that comes with a big MLB trade: Cody Bellinger is now a New York Yankee. He’s married to model Chase Carter, who used to date Giancarlo Stanton, who happens to be Bellinger’s new teammate on the Bronx Bombers.

Will it be awkward? I’m honestly not sure. But from a distance, it feels like that’s a bit in the past given that Carter reportedly dated Stanton in 2019 and Bellinger is now married to her, and the two of them have kids together.

So there you go. Quite the connection with this trade! Here are some photos of Bellinger and Carter:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_n-OGAPVnm/?hl=en&img_index=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0WqeCtu_Lr/?hl=en

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Devin Williams trade grades: Who won the Yankees and Brewers deal?

Who won this deal?

We have ourselves a fairly big MLB trade! On Friday!

The New York Yankees haven’t let losing out on Juan Soto stop them from tinkering with their World Series roster. And the Milwaukee Brewers want to keep the winning going after losing in the Wild Card last season.

Which brings us to this deal involving stud Brewers closer Devin Williams and a Yankees team that desperately needed a bullpen arm to close things out. This is intriguing stuff.

Who won this deal? That’s what we’re here to do, as always. Here are trade grades for both sides with the news breaking on Friday:

Yankees and Brewers trade details:

Yankees get: RHP Devin Williams

Brewers get: LHP Nestor Cortes, infielder Caleb Durbin

Yankees grade

This is fairly straightforward. Williams is an elite closer who is turning 31 next September. The Yankees needed a dependable closer after what we saw last season and postseason, even in the run to the World Series.

So they acquired Williams for a relatively low cost — Cortes wasn’t that great in 2024 after struggles in 2023, and we saw that in the postseason. Durbin isn’t a top prospect, although dude has some speed.

It’s a move you make if you’re a contender. Simple.

GRADE: A-minus

Brewers grade

You read all of that above and think the Brewers got hosed in this deal, right? But, no.

You see, they were never going to sign Williams to a long-term deal, which is a good idea even when you’re talking about an elite bullpen arm like him.

So they got Cortes — who, despite some struggles, has shown flashes of being a solid rotation pitcher — and a prospect. A good return for a player they weren’t going to keep!

That earns a decent grade, especially when we saw the Brewers had some names who could make up for Williams’ absence last season.

GRADE: B

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Juan Soto had a ruthless answer when asked if he spoke to any Yankees players before his Mets signing

He couldn’t wait to leave that organization.

Fresh off signing the most lucrative contract in baseball history, Juan Soto was introduced as a member of the New York Mets on Thursday. But he probably shouldn’t expect many congratulatory texts from his now-former Yankees teammates.

Soto — who helped lead the Yankees to their first World Series appearance since 2009 — decided to sign with the crosstown rivals for a 15-year, $765 million deal. Given how crucial Soto was to the Yankees’ success in 2024, one might have expected more of a recruitment effort from players like Aaron Judge or Gerrit Cole. But that wasn’t the case at all.

Speaking to reporters, Soto was asked if he had talked to any Yankees players during the free agency process. And that was when Soto revealed that he hadn’t spoken to any of them since leaving the clubhouse for the final time.

If that didn’t indicate just how unhappy Soto was with the Yankees’ clubhouse atmosphere, I don’t know what does. Typically, team leaders would do what they could to support (or even subtly recruit) a free agent of Soto’s caliber. Yet, in this case, the silence seemed mutual.

He was ready to move on from the Yankees, and he made that clear on Thursday.

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Yankees fans loved Brian Cashman’s blunt response to turning down Juan Soto’s demand for a luxury suite

The Yankees GM had no regrets.

Juan Soto’s decision to sign with the Mets for a record-shattering deal wasn’t much of a surprise within baseball circles. The number was always going to be astronomical, and the Mets had deep pockets to make it happen.

What was surprising, though, was how the Yankees’ bid may have collapsed over refusal to give Soto a free luxury suite at Yankee Stadium.

According to the New York Post, Soto wanted the Yankees to provide his family with a suite for the duration of the contract. The Yankees — having already made Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge pay for their own suites in the past — didn’t want to ignore precedent and give Soto a multimillion-dollar perk. Instead, they offered Soto that suite at a discounted rate.

Mets owner Steve Cohen, on the other hand, was more than willing to give Soto a suite at Citi Field and got the deal done. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was asked about the suite saga, and he essentially said that a player making that much should be OK paying for his own suite.

Via MLB.com:

“Some high-end players that make a lot of money for us, if they want suites, they buy them.”

Cashman also added that he had no regrets about how the Yankees handled their negotiations. And Yankees fans loved how Cashman implied that Soto could have afforded his own suite because, well, look at that contract.

This was how Twitter/X reacted

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The Yankees’ reported refusal to give Juan Soto a luxury suite may have pushed him to the Mets

Somehow, that was asking too much.

To the surprise of many, the Yankees actually came close to matching the Mets’ record-shattering $765 million contract to Juan Soto. And at face value, 16 years, $760 million seemed like a sweet deal to stay in pinstripes.

But Soto was looking for a suite deal.

According to a report from the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Soto grew discouraged with the Yankees’ unwillingness to provide him with a luxury suite for his family at Yankee Stadium. Instead, the Yankees insisted that Soto pay for the suite himself at a discounted rate. Meanwhile, the Mets were willing to give Soto his suite at Citi Field.

Since the Yankees had made Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge pay for their suites, they didn’t want to set a different precedent with Soto. Via the Post:

The Yankees shouldn’t be faulted for bidding a whopping $760M, but they wouldn’t budge on the suite. The Yankees felt they couldn’t give a suite to Soto when Judge pays for his suite, and even Derek Jeter paid. They were willing to discount a suite but not alter their precedent.

When you think about it, though, that does make some sense — especially when you’re looking at the cost of that request. Suites at Yankee Stadium can go for upwards of $25,000 for a single game. And while the Yankees did offer Soto a discounted rate, you’re looking at around a $20 million perk over the 16 years on top of that $760 million deal.

Mets owner Steve Cohen, on the other hand, didn’t care about the cost effectiveness here. He wanted Soto and was going to do whatever it took.

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Juan Soto felt the Mets have a brighter future than the Yankees, per report

Juan Soto chose the Mets for a mindboggling reason.

The sports world was left stunned when the Juan Soto decided to leave the New York Yankees to sign with the New York Mets.

This was a significant decision by Soto that was otherwise unfathomable just a few short years ago as the slugger signed the largest contract in the history of professional sports. But while the Mets offered $765 million guaranteed, the Yankees also reportedly offered $760 million.

While a difference of $5 million would change lives for most people, this is effectively the same contract with figures that large. So why would Soto then decide to jump ship?

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan during an appearance on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, this was perhaps an evaluation on the future trajectories of the franchises.

“The Mets weren’t that much at a different place than the New York Yankees were. The Yankees had a $760 million, only $5 million less spread out over 16 years, so it wasn’t a huge demonstrable difference. At the end, I think Juan Soto looked at the New York Mets future and looked at the New York Yankees future and believed that the Mets have a better future than the Yankees.”

Let that sink in for a second.

The Mets, long considered the LOL Mets for their consistent misfortune, ushered in a changing of the guard.

Here is more context from Passan:

“The Yankees have been the most successful franchise in North American sports history. They have 27 championships. They New York Mets have been the New York Mets. And so to see the transformation that Steve Cohen has helped make with this franchise over the last four years after he bought it, to turn them from laughing stock to the team that Juan Soto wants to play with because he believes that they are going to have a brighter future, speaks volumes about what he has been able to do since he has bought the team. This, I think, is just the beginning. They are going to spend more money. They are going to continue to have payrolls like this.”

The Mets still have more decisions to make this offseason, including whether or not they will re-sign first baseman Pete Alonso and starting pitcher Sean Manaea.

But based on Passan’s characterization of Soto’s assessment, it seems very likely that this team isn’t done spending with the hopes of creating a threat and juggernaut in the National League.

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Did a Juan Soto-to-Mets contract offer leak from Carlos Mendoza’s son on TikTok?

The best Juan Soto insider is just a child.

As the baseball world waits for news on where Juan Soto will sign, fans are holding on to clues wherever they can possibly get them.

One unlikely but potential source is the comments of a post on TikTok. But while others have remained fairly tight-lipped during the free agency process thus far leading up to the MLB winter meetings, some actual information on the New York Yankees star may have slipped through the cracks.

While none of this is confirmed and is purely speculative, the idea is that the son of New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza may have provided a bit too much insider knowledge to his social media.

The first comment is from the user is that the Mets offered $700 million over 15 years.

That number is fairly similar to what was recently reported by ESPN’s Buster Olney and Jeff Passan, who both speculated that this deal could reach $700 million (and Olney mentioned 15 seasons).

Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, would likely want to top the deal that MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers last offseason. So that number would accomplish as much.

But why should anyone believe that this account belongs to Mendoza’s son?

His next comment said “bro do you know who inam” [sic] and if you go to his profile, the Mets are in his bio.

The two videos he has posted are both of the Mets, including one practicing with star short stop Francisco Lindor. The other caption is “my dad’s speech good?” with a video of Mendoza.

His username includes the name Adrian and Mendoza has two sons, and the eldest is a 12-year-old named Adrian. Hmmmmm!

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The latest Juan Soto rumors about where the Yankees star will sign during MLB free agency

The Yankees and Mets are the favorites but not the only options.

New York Yankees slugger Juan Soto is the biggest star available in the MLB and fans are eagerly awaiting to find out where he will sign.

After helping lead the Yankees to win the American League before falling short to the Dodgers in the 2024 World Series, the 26-year-old outfielder and former National League batting champion will have a robust market awaiting him.

While it is unclear if he will sign the most lucrative contract in baseball history, it is possible that his deal could at least approach that territory or potentially reach its own milestone.

After meeting with a handful of teams around the league, here are the latest rumors about Soto and how he could fit with the top suitors.

New York Yankees

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner described it as a “good meeting” and called signing Soto a “priority” for their offseason, per The Athletic. Steinbrenner, however, has previously called New York’s payroll “not sustainable” and the organization is also reportedly prepared for scenarios in which the slugger does not re-sign with the franchise.

For what it is worth, though, 12 out of the 18 MLB executives polled by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers believed Soto will remain with the Yankees.

New York Mets

Perhaps the most likely spoiler for the Yankees is their crosstown rival in New York. As we wrote earlier this month, Soto is getting recruited to the Mets by Francisco Lindor.

The Mets are reportedly willing to spend $50 million more than any other team in this free agency pursuit, per Yankees announcer Michael Kay. He is currently expected to take the biggest offer with the most money and most years, per The Athletic, which makes the Mets a very likely option thanks to owner Steve Cohen.

Los Angeles Dodgers

According to his agent, Soto’s biggest priority is winning. If that is the case, he will have the best chance to do so in Los Angeles. There are some reports that Soto prefers to play on the East Coast, but New York Post reporter Jon Heyman said a confidant “downplayed” the importance of geography in this decision.

However, per The Athletic, it would reportedly be “seen as an upset in the industry” if Soto does not sign with one of the two teams in New York. ESPN’s Jeff Passan added that the Dodgers “won’t chase after” Soto after the organization landed Shohei Ohtani.

San Francisco Giants

San Francisco is reportedly one of the mystery teams for Soto and have a “legit” chance to get him, per Heyman. The organization reportedly tried to trade for him last year before the Padres eventually dealt him to the Yankees, and they were one of the only front offices to actually offer $700 million to Ohtani in 2023 as well.

San Francisco, however, is expected to reduce payroll next season so signing Soto is antithetical to that route.

Toronto Blue Jays

One player who shares an agent with Soto reportedly said the Blue Jays are prepared to make an “astronomical” offer to Soto, per NJ.com. Much like the Giants, the franchise tried to trade for the slugger and also made an offer for Ohatani last season but came up short on both. Passan reported that Toronto is “serious” about trying to sign Soto.

However, as noted by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, would it even make sense to try to secure Soto before even having Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette signed to long-term contract extensions?

Boston Red Sox

Boston is another organization with Soto at the “top of its want list” this offseason, per Passan. Like the Blue Jays, the Red Sox are reportedly also chasing all of the top pitchers available this offseason as well.

Soto was “impressed” by Boston’s presentation during their meeting, per Jim Bowden of The Athletic. But are they close enough to contending for him to actually sign there?

No meetings yet but possible suitors: Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres

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The Rays finally made their decision on where they will play for the 2025 MLB season and it makes sense

Tropicana Field’s roof was destroyed by Hurricane Milton.

While much of the Tampa-St. Petersburg area avoided the worst of Hurricane Milton. The same couldn’t be said for Tropicana Field, and the Rays were forced to look for a new home in 2025 as a result.

That decision has been made, and it comes courtesy of an AL East rival.

The damage to Tropicana Field’s roof was so severe that the city quickly said it wouldn’t be fixed in time for the 2025 season. And further analysis showed that the damage itself would run up a repair cost of nearly $55 million. Given the Rays’ construction of a new stadium set to open in 2028 and the city’s downgraded insurance policy on The Trop, we might never see that roof get repaired.

Well, the Rays can thank the New York Yankees in the meantime because they are heading to Steinbrenner Field — the Yankees’ spring training facility — this season.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays elected to stay in Tampa rather than explore options in different markets. As we pointed out last month, the Marlins’ LoanDepot Park could have been a choice for consideration (given the roof and MLB-ready facilities), but that would force players and staff across the organization to relocate.

Steinbrenner Field won’t be without its challenges. For one, it’s an open-air stadium. That will get especially brutal in the summers when the Rays have to deal with heat, humidity and frequent rain delays. The 11,000-seat capacity is tiny, but the Rays should at least be able to reliably fill that stadium — something they struggled to do at The Trop.

They should probably get used to seeing Yankees logos constantly, though. That could get awkward, but this was the sensible choice given the tough circumstances.

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Juan Soto is getting recruited to the Mets by Francisco Lindor, who could lure him from Yankees

Juan Soto is the biggest free agent available in the MLB.

After a shocking postseason run in 2024, the New York Mets are looking to improve by potentially adding a crosstown rival from the New York Yankees.

Although the Mets and Yankees did not actually get to face off against each other in the MLB World Series for the first time in more than two decades, they will have their own competition this offseason in the free agency pursuit of Juan Soto.

According to baseball insider Jeff Passan, the Mets and Yankees are the “two favorites” to sign the four-time MLB All-Star. Here is more from Passan on how the Mets are getting help from another star already on their roster (via ESPN):

“The Mets’ pursuit has gotten a hand from shortstop Francisco Lindor, who would love another star in Queens and has taken a role in recruiting Soto, while the Yankees can point to Soto’s excellence in the Bronx this season as a precursor for more.”

Lindor, also a four-time All-Star, came to the Mets in 2021 and was in contention for the National League MVP this past season.

JUAN SOTO FREE AGENCY: Where will Yankees star sign for 2025?

The presence of both Lindor and Soto would make the Mets one of the most intimidating teams in the NL again next season.

New York’s Pete Alonso is also a free agent, but it appears Mets owner Steve Cohen is willing to spend whatever it takes to make this team contend for a title.

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