๐ Published on: 2024-12-09 04:31:05
โฑ Duration: 01:07:00 (4020 seconds)
๐ Views: 66613 | ๐ Likes: 1422
๐ Video Description:
Juan Soto has made his free agency decision, singing with the New York Mets.
Watch More: https://on.sny.tv/ATEbSKX
Subscribe to get the latest from SNY here: https://on.sny.tv/S5RYeWN
About SNY:
SNY is the official television home of the New York Mets, Jets and all things New York sports. SNY features unparalleled, exclusive access to the New York Mets with more than 130 live telecasts each season as well as other Emmy Award winning Mets entertainment programming. As the official TV home of the New York Jets, SNY delivers more than 300 hours of exclusive year-round content devoted to Gang Green. SNY is also the official TV home of the UConn Huskies Men’s and Women’s basketball programs, televising over 450 hours of UConn programming annually, including more than 20 live games.
SNY is an award winning, multiplatform regional sports network serving millions across the country through unparalleled coverage of all things New York sports.
SNY delivers the most comprehensive access to all of the Tri-State area’s professional and collegiate sports teams through nightly sports and entertainment programs.
SNY.tv is the “go-to” digital communal home for New York sports fans to get succinct, easy-to-read updates, video highlights and features, recaps, news, opinion, rumors, insight and fan reaction on their favorite New York sports teams.
As New York’s leader in local sports TV coverage, SNY delivers the most comprehensive access to all of the Tri-State area’s professional and collegiate sports teams through five nightly sports and entertainment programs from SNY’s studios at 4 World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. SNY’s programming roster also includes classic sports programming, critically acclaimed original entertainment shows, and exclusive interview and magazine programs.
Check out more from SNY at https://sny.tv
Like SNY on Facebook: https://on.sny.tv/rBYAHLi
Follow SNY on Twitter: https://on.sny.tv/nOn1uq1
Follow SNY on Instagram: https://on.sny.tv/lEArPVp
SNY.tv: The Online Home of All Things New York Sports.
#SNY
๐ Channel: SNY
๐ Channel Country: United States
๐ Tags:
sny,sportsnet new york,sny tv,sny ny,sny sports,sny new york,sny network,sportsnet
๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ Transcript:
Martino down at the winter meetings in moments but Anthony let me start with you put this into perspective for this franchise the Mets to go out and land a generational Talent with the largest contract in professional sports history yeah amen I mean that the history reverberations here through the Met franchise uh won’t we won’t be able to comprehend them I think for a little while here that’s how enormous this is I mean we all know about the player a 26-year-old mega Slugger who is an onbase machine gets compared to Ted Williams and for the Mets to go in and give this this enormous deal this to me aan proves that Steve Cohen when he wants a player can go get him and use the power of His pocketbook to do so uh he took him away from the Yankees so that’s going to be a big deal sort of in the city between Met fans Yankee fans I I mean the banter is going to be off the charts here I think and the Mets got themselves an incredible outfielder look we’ve seen business has not been usual since Steve Cohen has taken over ownership of the team we’ve seen that throughout a variety of moves both on the trade market and in free agency but this feels like the real first major flexing of the muscle from Steve Cohen and the more you listened and kind of followed and tracked how all this was going down and the other teams that were involved it almost felt like no matter what he wasn’t going to be out bit and if the Yankees or one of the other teams were going to match or go slightly above where he was at nothing leads me to believe he wouldn’t have just kept going until everybody basically bowed out maybe that’s exactly how it went down here sounds like there’s some escalators in the deal that could take it north of $800 million at some point down the road depending on how stto plays so this was clearly the guy that he wanted and uh he very much use that very large bank account that he has to get it done uh you mentioned escalators there are reports that there is a $75 million signing bonus that’s a straight up elevator I don’t think I don’t think that’s an escalator I I can’t wait to find out how many olives were in Steve Cohen’s Martini after he landed this steel but uh so that’s the historical perspective now nuts and Boltz Chris on the field the baseball aspect what does the impact what’s the impact of adding stto to this lineup well obviously I mean look it’s it’s a met team in a lineup that we saw did some pretty good things this past season where it was a magical ride in the second half and now you throw him right in the middle of I mean and we’re going to assume now likely Pete Alonzo is probably not going to be part of that lineup stranger things have happened but you kind of swap out Alonzo you bring in this generational Talent this Lefty bat that’s obviously a complete hitter we know he’s got the power you know he’s got a great eye at the plate he’s going to be on base he’s going to work counts so you pair him with what they’ve got obviously Francisco Lindor has established himself as a leader on this team and now in comes Juan stto he just spent this past season working side by side with Aaron judge as they’re back toback in the order and now all of a sudden you’re looking at a Lindor stto combination at the top of that met order yeah that’s what we were noodling lineups beforehand in case that this went the Mets way and you know what do you think about Lindor one stto two and then burgeoning Slugger Mark Vientos in the three hole there that is a uh a tough task for any pitching staff to combat uh you know now while we’re thinking about uh contract terms and stuff I’m interested in if there are op outs in this thing too and and how that may play into things as well uh that seems to be uh you know the usual thing in contracts now everybody gets that chance uh you know but the Mets have the Mets will have Juan stto in the middle of that lineup and you know you think about the the the Boost that he gave the Yankees last year aen in terms of the perception of the franchise which you know the Mets are an adult team obviously they went to the NLCS last year very exciting a monster huge year the Yankees when they traded for stto were coming off kind of a dry season injury barely above 500 and he pumped electricity into Yankee Stadium and he’s going to do the same thing I think at City Field because fans are going to be over- the toop excited about this player being in that lineup you know before last uh before last season a and I think that there were some Met fans out there who were frustrated that there wasn’t a mega free agent binge then they’ve got their binge now and it’s it was the best guy available by far maybe the greatest free agent ever well there was there was thought that that was all part of the plan I mean the cynic who would dare call me a cynic would say punt on 2024 load up for stto in 2025 obviously they did not punt they had a remarkable year and an exciting year uh but you know there is an opt out is until after year five from Andy Martino reporting that per source so there is well we were discussing before we went on the air that you know that if you if you you know opt out if he wins a World Series Mets win a World Series after 5 years he’s 31 maybe the Mets say okay or maybe he says I liked it here but let’s go see where I can get uh anywhere else and speaking of anywhere else John Heyman reporting that the Yankees bid $760 million for 16 years so let’s just quickly take a look at the Yankee angle of this one this is uh coming up short in a not in a big way financially but a major defeat for the Yankees yeah they are going to have to retool here now their off offseason just took a big turn and they obviously have other needs Beyond just retaining juoda they didn’t retain him so now they have all of that on top of getting an impactful player on their offense the way he was but that player does not exist on the free agent Market or even on the trade market uh for any reasonable uh Target so they’ve got some scrambling to do now aan and I think that uh look I mean that 760 over 16 years is a representative offer I know there will be some Met fans out there who say oh you know well how didn’t go the full limit he didn’t go all in you know he didn’t get Wan stto I I I get it but that that’s a big that’s a big set of money bags to put on the table there that he went after him harded and stto obviously preferred Queens in this instance yeah I mean look it’s a very representative offer and I think one that it’s going to be there will be Yankee fans that complain and criticize that they didn’t do whatever it took uh but I think those numbers are pretty legitimate so I’m thinking this is really comes down to a structure situation you mentioned the signing bonus already escalators the one last year maybe the opt out situation you’ll have to dive into all the details of that a little bit but look it’s going to take a while for the Yankee fan base for the organization to get over obviously the disappointment of coming up short here but there are other pieces out there not the long-term commitment maybe that you would have had in this case with wotto but more of a some of the parts off season they’re obviously going to have to Pivot because you have a small window for them right now smaller with Garett Cole and Aaron judge getting up there in age you want to win now well we knew this was going to be the biggest Story down at the winter meetings and that is where our Andy Martino and Jim dukette are down in Dallas so uh Andy let’s start with you uh what are you hearing about the last 24 hours maybe even 12 hours as to how uh Steve Cohen and the Mets got this deal done with Juan stto I’ll tell you that story in a moment amen but first I want to zoom all the way back out just to describe this I think for what it is and just taking a breath and reminding everyone that this is a seminal moment in the history of New York baseball this is I mean there’ve been New York baseball teams for like 150 years or so Jim yeah and this is one of those few moments granted something that’s happened off the field it’s not a championship or anything like that but will be remembered forever last night the Mets were a joke on Sat Night Live they were joking oh that sort will go to the Mets to help out a charitable cause well this is no joke this is Steve Cohen fulfilling the promise to Mets fans and New York Baseball fans that came with him when he bought this team in 201 20 so just want to note what a big deal this is and and to answer your question Aman uh the Mets were dead in the water on this at about 3 p.m. today this was going nowhere uh momentum was with the Yankees and uh it picked up late and it picked up quick I think if you’d asked anybody in the know uh Jim we had a little dinner at the bar about what 6:00 or so something like that about 2 and 1 half 3 hours when we sat down the Yankees were winning this thing when we got up the Mets were so that that’s how quickly this came together Jim let me ask you because you obviously know Scott Boris very well from dealing with him and now you’ve gotten an idea of how Steve Cohen operates as an owner uh what motivation for Steve Cohen was there in the last three hours to get this done as far as maybe you know as Andy said he had put himself out there and he had reached a point of no return He was going to get Wan sto to Queens yeah I I think that that’s the thing that stands out the most when you’re negotiating with Boris you have this type of player I mean there’s an ebb and flow to this and this has been going on now for a couple days I mean Andy and I have talked about this a lot and he’s been reporting this and and know knowing Scott and the his overall style he is the master negotiator and he’ll make you feel the a days where you have no chance or you think you’re out of this and I’m sure there are several times there that the Mets didn’t think they had a chance and I think really industrywide most people thought he was going to be a Yankee even if it was close and you look at the final numbers here and you know these numbers are very close the only real differen is in the average annual value the total dollar amount is within $5 million but they were able not only to give the most money but also to convince Juan sto to leave the team that he was with this past year and and really get him to buy into a vision long term that the Mets are going to be competitive year in and year out let me follow up with you there because obviously the Yankees were all in this was not a case of them bowing out early we heard the reports of the $760 million for 16 years do you think it just reached a point where they knew that no matter what their next offer was Steve Cohen was going to match it I mean it’s hard to know for sure you know I think with this one I I think that you know the prevailing thought even you know leaving the World Series was the me the Yankees didn’t have to be the highest bidder in this that if it was close because of the relationship and because of having Aaron judge and being a part of that organization and all the people that are there behind the scenes that he had built up a relationship with that he wasn’t going to go anywhere you know and so you know I think that this was one of those that we’re going to find out more details later on what was it that convinced him about the Mets offer this certainly isn’t you know taking the highest dollar I mean it is it’s $5 million more but there had to be more than that to convince him to come to the New York Mets and I think that is the sales pitch and the kind of the staying with it philosophy that Steve Cohen and David Sterns had to do in this to convince him to come over there I really felt like they were were a clear Underdog in this even with more money they were never the favorite I don’t care what you read I don’t care what was said the Yankees were always the favorite in this the Mets came from behind like I said in a in the space of a few hours and I can speak a little bit to to what Jim was talking about too in terms of what convinced Soto because I can tell you through sources what what Soto’s concerns were it was not just that he was comfortable with the Yankees was not just that that was a great experience for him going to the World Series playing with judge playing for Aaron Boone hell Stein brener all positives for stto uh he was concerned about the current construction of the Met lineup he didn’t know fairly or unfairly if there’d be enough protection for him in that lineup I mean he would be leaving Aaron judge now he is of course leaving Aaron judge and you’re telling him well Mark Vientos is coming along as a star Pete Alonzo might come back well you look over at the Bronx and you have Aaron judge so all of these things were reasons why it was an uphill climb for the Mets but one thing uh that Soto articul ated to David Sterns and Steve Cohen through this process was that he he did believe in Cohen he did believe that Cohen was going to be a good owner uh is already a good owner was building something good so uh that was something uh that’s not a knock on Hell Stein brener that’s just something where I think Steve Cohen the salesman and not just Steve Cohen the checkbook really helped close this deal here late yeah certainly had 765 million reasons to believe in Steve Cohen as well but obviously that’s the commitment that Steve Cohen has shown in building this met franchise guys but uh Andy what’s been the reaction around baseball this report you know on Saturday that the Yankees and Mets were willing to go 710 730 million now it ends up at 765 million for 15 years what what’s the reaction been in the Baseball World the last 24 36 hours at what this price tag eventually and ultimately became for Juan sto well look the price tag I I don’t think there’s any uh and Jim is a former GM and probably speak to this even more directly than I can I don’t think there’s anybody that would uh value any player at that level uh and what that does to your rock roster flexibility going forward and things like that and potentially plugging up your DH spot uh for a decade or so down the line I mean these are things you’re asking me for the reaction around baseball that’s the reaction around baseball probably it’s the kind of situation where if you’re if you’re if you’re in one of those jobs like Jim has been you’re probably thinking gez I don’t know I love this player but but that causes some Financial uh flexibility issues for me too so probably the reaction of the numbers aim in was along those lines like gez but this is about more than that and this is about more than pure rationality sort of what I was talking about at the beginning this is about the Mets uh paying a premium to make a statement here I I think just like when they lost yoshinobu Yamamoto last year I think there’s a piece of the Yankee organization breathing a little bit of a sigh of relief that they have more money to spread around now in different ways uh but for the Mets it’s a statement that goes beyond uh what people would react to the money in baseball circles well Jim let me follow you follow up with what Andy mentioned obviously this is $765 million over 15 years for one player allbe it a future Hall of Famer and an unbelievable player coming off a great year now is I’m going to make you David Sterns here how much pressure is there now to fortify the rest of the roster to make sure that it’s worth it and that you build a World Series caliber team well you’re you’re not um you’re not buying a a big shiny expensive car like this if you can’t afford the oil change and the tire rotations and everything else there you know I hate to I don’t want to make that light of you know the next guys that are coming because those are going to be significant ads but you know the bottom line is is you have a guy that is in the middle of the lineup and you need to surround him with good talent they need there’s obvious need they’re at first base uh we know that it could be you know and also see in the Outfield but they also need pitching starting pitching and Bullpen help and you know I think if you look at that from David Stern’s perspective I mean that’s where he does his best all right you’ve spent all this money and you thank Steve Cohen for the the money and the big expenditure and you want to make sure that there’s enough left to to finish this team off and I think that you know he did his best work this past year with the starting rotation I think you you started to see some of that with the Holmes and Montas signing there’s another starter out there I start to wonder about Sean manay and Nathan naldi and guys like that but they’re also going to need some Bullpen pieces too along with the first baseman and I don’t think there’s any hesitation at this point that the Mets are going to be pursuing that here in the in the real let’s say near future Jim I want to go back to you with something Andy started about right from the talked about right from the start here because you’ve been a part of this franchise you know what it’s like being in a two uh two baseball team town here with the Yankees how do you put into historical perspective the Mets being able to lure a future Hall of Famer from the Bronx to Flushing well I’m going to say this I I think this from my my myself personally and then I’ll speak industry-wise it’s a stunning development really I don’t think there’s any other way to look at it because this hasn’t happened uh you know in the years that I’ve been with this organization now over 30 years in some capacity it’s been you know uh when you look at signing you know whenever one team was competing for a player the other one kind of didn’t really pursue it for whatever reason um you know it maybe the need wasn’t there or maybe it was like well you know what we don’t like the player but there’s never in that head-to-head it started to happen a little bit last year with Y Yamamoto but he didn’t end up with either organization this is the one time where you have a player of this magnitude and it’s basically head-to-head they’re competing against one another and one ended up with the other one so for me it’s a stunner Jim duette Andy Martino thank you very much for hopping on our live coverage of breaking news Juan stto signing with the Mets 15 years 765 million we’re going to have more from you guys later on on Honda Sports night but Andy and Jim thanks for your time we now want to bring in the voice of the New York Mets sny’s own Gary Cohen and uh Gary I’m going to start right where we left off with Jim dukette because no one knows the history of this franchise better than you how do you put in perspective the New York Mets signing a free agent away from the New York Yankees put a future Hall of Famer coming to Queens well it is certainly the the biggest and most important transaction the Mets have ever made I mean the only one that even um is in the same ballpark was the trade for Mike Patza in 1998 um the Mets have never dipped this deeply into the free agent market in terms of you know the caliber of player and youth the thing that would come closest to that would have been signning Carlos beltron but beltron wasn’t 26 years old when when the Met signed him Juan sto just turned 26 he is arguably the best hitter in baseball um if not he’s in the top three and did I mention he’s just turning 26 he’s got seven years under his belt he is a marvelous marvelous offensive player and completely changes the conversation around the Mets uh coming off a National League Championship Series appearance um they are automatically um the favorites in the National League East regardless of what they do the rest of the the off season uh you led me to my next question because obviously you know the numbers as well as anyone but the 36 point4 career War he’s one of only nine players to hit at least 200 home runs through age 25 and I guess you already just said it but how would you describe the impact now on the field uh this signing will have for this team well it obviously creates an enormous length in the lineup I mean Juan stto is a force of nature he’s a 400 on base percentage guy he’s a 500 plus slugging guy he presents a threat every time he comes to the plate and um you know obviously depending on whether the Mets get pet Lonzo back but if you’re looking at a middle of the batting order that features at least wotto Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos that is uh that’s a formidable grouping in say the two three and four spots in the batting order so um it is um it’s a Monumental day for the Mets you know the fact that they they took the player from the Yankees and they ended up outbidding the Yankees in the end to me that that’s an important footnote but it’s not the story the story is that the Mets got perhaps the best hitter in baseball for at least the next five and perhaps the next 15 years if he plays out the entire contract that in and of itself is an enormous piece and I you know going back to to when Steve Cohen bought the team this is what you envision um you know people all uh through the offseason so far every day have have asked me about Juan stto and the thing that I always say to them is well our guy has the most money well it turns out that the guy with the most money got the biggest prize and and that’s the payoff of having Steve Cohen as your owner his willingness to do whatever it takes to get the Mets a World Series championship and this is an enormous step in that direction the guy with the biggest money gets the biggest prize it usually does work that way and uh Gary you’re around this team every day and even into the outside world in the fan you could see the chemistry was a huge part to last year’s successful season so you know what that Clubhouse is like and how important that chemistry was you know Juan stto from covering him when he was with the Nationals and the Padres how does he blend in you think with the uh chemistry of this club well first of all the Mets chemistry in 2024 was unparalleled I mean I’ve been around this team every day for 37 years and there there’s no there’s no clubhouse that I’ve been around that compares to the one the Mets had this year so that having been said it’s going to be different in 2025 and the Mets have had a ton of free agents they’ve already lost an important one in in Luis srino and it’s going to be different um but last year Francisco Lindor and to a lesser extent Brandon nmo took over that Clubhouse they are now the acknowledged leaders on this team and I I think that Juan SoDo knowing him and how badly he wants to win understands just how important Francis golden door is and I think that’s going to be a fantastic partnership going forward a few moments ago you mentioned Pete Alonzo obviously uncertainty about his met future how do you think the signing of Juan stto impacts Pete Alonzo’s free agency I don’t think it affects it all that much the Mets have made it quite clear that even if they signed stto they still are going to be front and center for Pete Alonzo and and honestly I don’t know how robust the market is going to be for Pete so I think there is every chance that Pete comes back to the Mets and that would be obviously a an incredible um piece to uh to put behind U the guys we just mentioned in the Mets batting order it would be um it would really create a a a tremendous length in that lineup that that the M of some times lack they had it times last year but but not as consistently as they would in in that kind of lineup I know I’m making this very simplistic and it doesn’t work this way and you don’t get to be a general manager of a Major League baseball club without being able to multitask but if you were David Sterns what’s next on your priority list is it manah or is it Alonzo or or what do you think it is yes yes yes and yes right go all in yeah I yeah I I mean I’m assuming that Shawn maniah is their number one pitching Target I don’t know that to be a fact um you know Andy can certainly speak better to that in terms of the imaginations of the market but clearly the Mets even with the signings of Montas and Holmes still need um at least one if not two Frontline starting pitchers to solidify their rotation and they need to resolve the Alonzo situation one way or another if if not Alonzo do they go after a Christian Walker do they move Vientos to First do they go after a third baseman do they trust in the in Mauricio or or batty to be that guy going forward you know those are all the questions that they have to ask and you know it’s still awfully early in the off season but with the biggest domino having fallen I think you’re probably going to see a lot of signings in the coming days you know when we started our coverage of this breaking news Andy Martino pointed out that just about 24 hours ago the Mets were still a punchline on Saturday Night Live regarding this uh you grew up a Met fan you know the psyche of a Met fan what does this news do for that Met fan that’s uh you know lives and dies with this team well I mean the Mets fans got a taste of success this year um the last four months of the season they were the best team in baseball they they got into the National League Championship Series despite a a very thin pitching staff um you know Med fans have every reason to feel good about themselves before the stto sighting but this this ratchets everything up into into hyperdrive and I’m sure Met fans will be awfully encouraged uh looking forward to 2025 yeah $765 million certainly is hyperdrive Gary Cohen the voice of the Mets thank you very much for joining for our joining us with our coverage here of Juan stto to the Mets appreciate your time Gary thanks Aon now we go back down to Dallas Anthony dakoma who covers the Mets for mlb.com joins us and Anthony what are you learning about the last say 12 or six hours that put the Mets over the top in the wano sweep staks well it comes down to the money doesn’t it and all along this process there have been two things that the Mets could offer one is the money because they do have the richest owner in Major League Baseball and the other thing is the appetite to win I think Steve Cohen has made it very very clear that this isn’t just about signing woto this is about building a team year after year and building an organization that can compete for a championship and right now that means investing a ton of money in free agents to being able to do that but Cohen and this whole front office is committed to having this be a sustainable Enterprise to not just be uh let’s be competitive for a few years and then fade away no they want this to be a big thing a long-term thing stto is obviously now the centerpiece of that and and the biggest splash that this organization has ever made that anyone has ever made in Major League Baseball but they’re going to build around him that’s already started it started before Juan stto signed and it will continue now going forward as the Mets look to get back to the World Series and to win a championship uh going forward how do you think this impacts Pete Alonzo’s future with the Mets I think that’s the biggest question we have here and I don’t think money is going to be a factor again you don’t pay 600 $765 million for Wan soda only to bulk other pieces you need I I do think pitching is the priority for the Mets they’ve already filled out that rotation with Frankie monos and Klay Holmes but certainly they need more there they need more in the bullpen whether Alonzo fits as well we’ll see certainly if you get Pete Alonzo add him to what you already have now in wotto Francisco Lindor Brandon nmo Etc it’s going to be probably the best lineup in baseball the Mets are in a nice place where they don’t necessarily need it but I certainly they will talk to Scott Boris about pet Alonzo they will continue to and I do think there’s a chance that you could have both in that lineup in 2025 all right you said possibly the best lineup in baseball where do you think this moves the Mets uh in the standings let’s start with the NL East they finished third there last year do you think this makes them the favorite to win the division I do I really do and look this is a team that is now battle tested they managed to make it all the way to within two wins of the World Series last year despite not having on paper as good a roster as they’ll probably have in 2025 and it does come down to the pitching you can’t just say because we have ju soda we can outslug everyone all the way to a title it doesn’t work that way as we’ve seen around baseball you need pitching you need health you need a little bit of luck um but when you look at the other teams I think Atlanta has clearly taken a step back with some of their aging players is some of their health problems that they’ve had I think the Phillies window has been open for a while but they haven’t managed to seize it I’m not sure how you look at the NL East and say that the Mets at this moment December 8th having signed wetto are not the favorites you know the Met fan very well through social media and covering the team at the ballp park what do you think this signing uh does to the psyche of the longtime New York me fan well I’ve been waiting a couple minutes here to go on air i’ I’ve got about a 100 unread text messages that I’ll go back to and this is not just from Mets fans this is from Baseball fans this is from people throughout the sport this is a Monumental day I I don’t know if there’s a comparable for a Mets fan across the history maybe Carlos beltron signing with the team I think that’s probably the closest thing we have but to sign one of the best players in the sport and not just sign him but sign him to the largest contract that the sport has ever seen that the league has ever seen that’s a big deal this is not small potatoes so yeah celebrate Mets fans like this is a night to be happy it is proof that this owner this franchise this front office is looking to do anything they possibly can to turn this team into a winner you see it now with juodo and like I said at the jump they’re going to continue adding pieces to this until they have the team that they feel can really truly win it all that’s a great place to be if you’re a Mets fan so it is a night for celebration you know Anthony last week you were on baseball night New York and you were telling a story about how you were talking to your colleagues who cover the Red Sox for mlb.com and they were getting the feeling that the red Red Sox were a serious player that was starting to convince you that they could definitely be involved we’ve been talking about this signing or the free agency sweep Stakes you know for more than a year so we all knew he was going to get paid but you know give us a sense of exactly how Juan stto being a generational player Scott Boris being an amazing agent and the richest owner in sports involved the Yankees involved the Red Sox and Dodgers just could you put the world’s colliding that led to this uh record setting Fran uh contract yeah and look if you’re Steve Coen if you’re David Sterns you never know right you never know until it a signed seal delivered to you you’ve heard Jim duette talk about it how Scott Boris loves to keep teams in the dark and you don’t quite always know where you stand but as you said the ingredients were always there for this to be a record contract I am partly shocked partly not shocked at the final number the fact that there’s no deferred money in this deal it it basically comes close to doubling the largest previous contract in major league history I mean Choy Otani 700 million almost didn’t feel real because of the 98% deferred money this is real this is 3/4 of a billion dollars plus we’ve never seen anything like this so um yeah it’s basically the Mets were the favorites from the start the Yankees were probably right there 1B alongside them from the start it always felt like New York and there were all these smoke signals along the way maybe it could be the Red Sox maybe the Dodgers could get involved maybe some other teams could really be in the mix but from day one did feel like a New York New York kind of thing and lo and behold it is the Mets on the largest deal in major league history now we just have to find out how many olives were in Steve Cohen Martini when he closed the deal Anthony doomo thank you very much for joining us here on our uh live breaking breaking news coverage of ju stto signing with the Mets we appreciate your time you got it like I said it’s a night for celebration for Mets fans for sure no doubt about that all right so moments ago Donovan Mitchell the son of a longtime met employee in a huge Met fan FaceTiming with Juan stto and does that look like a smile of a guy who just signed a deal for $765 million so a great moment for the Met fan Donovan Mitchell and obviously Juan stto looks pretty excited to be joining the New York Mets now let’s bring in John Harper who joins us here on SNY and harp first of let’s just get your initial reaction when you saw the news and the numbers that were involved I didn’t think it was going to 765 I have to be honest D and uh I mean but what what the heck if you’re going once you get to Seven does it even matter anymore uh I I just think this is uh more than anything this is Steve Cohen living up to everything that Mets fans were hoping for and expected from him as the wealthiest owner and all that stuff you know as I just tweeted I mean really out bitting the Yankees is kind of the ultimate Flex for for Mets owner for for fans this is what fans were hoping for when he bought the team um and you know he delivered it’s clear he wasn’t going to be out bid uh for for stto and that’s what that’s what Mets fans wanted and uh that’s what they thought he could do we know he he’s spent before he’s this isn’t the first time he spent big but this is the first time he’s really put his foot down and said I am the Steve Cohen you thought I was uh Juan stto has been a generational Talent from the minute he stepped into the major leagues we saw him win a World Series with the gats we saw him help carry the Yankees to a World Series appearance so it’s kind of a redundant question because we’ve seen it but how does this impact the Mets on the field to L stto well it just to me it transforms their lineup in a lot of ways the way he did for the Yankees because you you got the high on base percentage the big Power the guy the guy that can hit all Fields High average you put him in the middle of that lineup it’s a totally different lineup even when the Mets even as well as they played at times and and and for a lot of the second half of the season last year they were kind of a hot and cold team offensively because they were streaky they didn’t have a lot of high average guys even even Lindor he got it going second half but but this now this is a guy who gives you that consistent everyday approach to every day making that lineup more dangerous and I think so now you put the right guys around him and they do have the right guys around him we’ll see what happens with Alonzo but uh I think you you put anybody around him it’s going to be a better lineup you had a couple more bats in there and this is going to be the best lineup in the in in the National League for sure what do you think this will do for Alonzo yeah I’m not sure uh I think think pitching is the priority still has to be the priority they need more arms despite what they’ve done and you know if to me once you sign stto you’re all in so why would you stop at at that late for example sha manai not giving him a fourth year or whatever it would take to bring him back um so I think that’s the priority as far as Alonzo I do think they still may have the feeling that we don’t need to overpay for Pete Alonso that we could do it without him we can move Vientos to first base they could move uh Mauricio to Third and and then add from there uh so I I think all along it’s been about not wanting to overpay for a guy who’s going to be in his 30s and probably be on a downside in a few years so uh I don’t I don’t I don’t know if it necessarily means they won’t bring him back I just think it means maybe it’s a little less likely because I don’t think they’ll extend maybe they would the way they would have if they didn’t get stto to keep Alonzo John you’ve become a baseball in this town for a long time how do you put perspective the Mets signing a future Hall of Famer from the Yankees to join them in Queens yeah it’s definitely a momentous occasion uh in in the city uh because the Yankees you know go you you got to go back to the 80s really you I was there when the the Mets own New York it was a different time uh it wasn’t really about the money as much then it was about that the way they developed that team grp and big personalities and the trades they made now it’s been about the money for years and about the Yankees championships they’ve won since going back to the 90s it’s been a Yankee Town and uh even though the Mets got to a world Series in 2015 they could they couldn’t get over the hump in terms of beating out the Yankees in terms of the the consistent winning and the playoff apperances all that now they still have to go out and prove it on the field but to me this is kind of a this is a moment to me to remember because I I thought all along how Stein Bruner would step up and make it happen and find a way to bring him back because obviously it’s it’s a tough it’s a tough moment for him he’s you know Yankee fans are going to be ruined the day they lost him they’re going to blame it on Hal even if he went over 700 M they’re still going to blame it on Hal so uh I you know you got you got to go out and win now there’s huge expectations on this met teams and that changes everything I heard you talking to Gary Cohen earlier you know that whole locker room The Good Vibes in that locker room now it’s going to be tested because when you have these kind of expectations a lot of things can change but in terms of the way kind of the uh the 30,000 foot view if you will this changes everything in terms of yanies Mets right now John Harper thanks for joining us here on SNY as Juan stto is on his way to the Mets and we now want to go back down to Dallas and bring back Andy Martino and Jim duette and uh Andy it’s been a while for the baseball world and the Sports World to soak this in uh you know what’s sort of the feeling down there in Dallas is now the buzz has become official that this deal and woto is uh signing with the Mets yeah I go back to what what a word that Jim used when we were talking to you a few minutes ago aen is just shock utter shock because again I said at the top of of this of this uh broadcast but just everyone assumed and I harp just said it too that that this is going to be a Yankee agreement ultimately at the end of the day the Mets were and I think we said this on the first Hot Stove show that we did this winter too the Mets had an uphill climb to do this they of course had the most resources uh but that’s not everything and and Juan stto was going to have a record-breaking contract in this range no matter who gave it to him uh so the sense of like it’s one thing to say if you’re this building or if you’re in baseball Media or if you’re a fan it’s one thing to say well Steve Cohen has the most money so therefore he’ll probably get sto it’s another thing to sit here or be one of the people behind me and go oh my God the Mets actually did it this guy sitting next to me was the general manager of the Mets as you all know Jim if I told you uh that within your lifetime they’d be spending upwards of almost $800 million on a player and beating the Stein bers to that player uh you probably would have told me that I was crazy so it’s just Jim used the word before shock complete Nutter shock Jim what what does this do I mean obviously there there isn’t a Wan sto going on the free agent Market every offseason but you know you just take a look back to a couple years ago Aaron judge got $360 million and I I’m going to laugh saying this but that now looks like chump change you knowon at 700 million what do these contracts do uh for the sport of baseball well I mean it obviously brings it so much attention to the sport I mean the Casual fan you know in and around the sport you know wants to know and wanted to know where is Juan sto signing it was a major source of conversation the last couple of days and as we got here to Dallas obviously you know that was the only question that was going on even with other signings going on Willie adamis going to the Giants H clay Holmes like the those were just the appetizer to the main meal here where is Juan soda going to go and you know if you pulled you know the people that are behind is that have kind of congregated around the set here uh you know 10 of them nine of them were saying oh he’s going to the New York Yankees especially when they heard the numbers were over $700 million and you know that was a stunner last year with SH Otani but they thought people downplayed it because there’s so much deferment there oh okay the present value is in the 400s it’s still a ton of money for anybody to be paying but you know that people downplayed it this is a number that I don’t think will ever be topped in baseball and you it’s hard to imagine it any way and I I think that’s the other part that’s so stunning is it’s the dollar amount the the 51 million or so per year that it comes out to in the average Andrew value and the New York Mets ended up with them instead of the New York Yankees the New York Mets again and to to the point I know I brought up earlier we were talking last time that SNL made the Mets a punch line on this and that the Mets are changing that narrative in a very dramatic way uh a day later but the also thing the the other thing about that too to Jim’s point about how this is a big deal for base baseball it gets people talking about it I mean that shows that baseball is really in the cultural conversation right now and that Wan sto has made that happen so I consider you’re going have a conversation about his glove or his base running or roster flexibility with a designated hitter position and there’ll be time to have those conversations but that that’s really right now I think we’re best served and thinking about this from that perspective of it it takes a lot for baseball to break through right now uh as a sport in into the broader culture at large Soto’s done that and now he’s a met and what that means for the Mets is absolutely incredible for them December 8th 2031 on baseball night New York and we discussing roster flexibility in his DH spot but uh Andy I want to start with you and get your thoughts on this as well Jim because Gary Cohen said this makes the Mets the clear-cut favorite in the NL East Andy uh where do you think it puts them up are they right there with the Dodgers where do you think they now uh stack up in the National leagues uh I don’t think they have the pitching yet for us to have that conversation um but again let’s leave all those logical points for another time because this is a statement that they made it’s not just a statement it’s a great player we all know that baseball isn’t the kind of sport until the golden a bat comes into play Jim I’m kidding baseball is not a sport where the if you have the best offensive player you’re automatically the favorite or if you collect Stars you’re automatically the favorite or anything like that so I’m not really ready to place them in the standings in any particular place I think it’s more where this places them in the minds of of New Yorkers New York Baseball fans and the Met fan who’s always had to deal with the big brother Yankees up until the time that we sat down to dinner tonight still the favorites on sto oh the Yankees are going to get them I think it’s more that to me than where they stand uh in the NL East respectfully to Gary’s point I’m not there I haven’t had a chance even to analyze that and say where their team Stacks up uh but I I I don’t think that that is that’s not what’s top of mind for me right now I I will say this so you know I think when you anytime you have the highest paid player in the sport you have expectations to to win right same thing happened with the Dodgers last year they were a flawed team when they got Otani but you know they end up U you know winning the World Series and I think with stto you know the expectation is there that they’re going to do more they have to surround him with more and I think when you kind of think about that as this month or so goes on or as you get closer to spring training you know you kind of get excited about all right what else is in store for this team and I do think that they will be the the favorites you know maybe it’s co- favorites with with the Dodgers and you know maybe even the Phillies we’ll have to see what the Phillies do the Atlanta right now is taking a a bit of a step back until they make a signing but listen the League’s going to be competitive it’s the division is going to be tough there’s no question but I think the expectation is going to be extremely high as it should be when you spend this kind of money for a ju stto all right Jim I want you to put your GM hat on you have a chance to have a cold beverage and celebrate this and then you wake up on Monday morning and you’re David Sterns what’s your first call Shawn manah or Pete Alonzo well I would hope uh hope that they were having dual conversations not at the same time of course but having dual conversations with uh Alonzo and Manaya by the way it’s same agent so you could have that conversation separately on that hey and it’s not any real uh you know it’s obvious that the Mets need both of those positions and you know if you look around uh you know Alonzo there are a couple of places that could use but the be the highest value I think is still with the New York Mets for him and now that becomes an attractive place for Pete to want to stay you know knowing that you seeing wow he’s got the best player in the sport why wouldn’t he want to come back too and so you know you start to wonder about that and obviously the pitching side of things we it’s well documented the year that manah had and you know we haven’t heard much about him so far there’s still some other good free agents out there but we know it’s going to be probably a lesser term deal man would be a great fit we know he’s already been a great fit and you know he can pitch in New York so you know for me those would be the two next moves hopefully and you know if you get a sense of you can get them both and try to try to clear that if you can by the end of next week now I I would just add to that on those two players maniah and Alonzo and I I bet Jim would agree that David Stern isn’t going to look at this like I got sto now which one of those guys do I get he’s going to look at each of these in their own vacuum and say all right where’s the price point on on Pete Alonzo uh sha Mani is another team really going to offer four years am I really comfortable with four years on a pitcher who’s going into his mid-30s so they’re going to look at each individual case and it would not surprise me if both came back but it also would not surprise me if we see a Christian Walker or Carlos Santana at first base other options in the rotation cuz Sterns is not he did not make his name as a bright executive in this game by being a big game hunter he knows how to build a roster and make moves you go oh I didn’t know they were going to sign that guy so I don’t know that it’s going to be either of those players I don’t know that it needs to be either of those players they’ll be considered but so will a lot of other guys if srino got three years I think it’s safe to assume that someone’s going to offer manah four years so that the Mets are going to definitely have to match that but Andy Martino and Jim duket we appreciate your time and uh now you can enjoy that cold beverage I was referencing a few minutes ago but thank you very much uh for your time speaking of happy and giddy Met fans there he is s Lata I’m surprised you’re sitting down I thought for sure I’d catch you dancing here and uh celebrating and popping champagne uh what are your initial reactions and thoughts when you saw the news break that Wan SoDo was a met oh Aman you know what they were you know what they were I’ve told you so I’ve been whispering it yelling at King Cohen and he has delivered this is the greatest day of my life including when I got married and my daughter was born I don’t care the Mets have delivered Juan Sono and stole them away from the Yankees amen this is great how’ you think I was going to react I thought you were going to be as excited as getting a chance to meet your lifetime Idol and longtime uh hero Brian tradier I mean I actually thought that I didn’t think it was going to be able to top that but uh here’s a layup for you as a longtime Met fan not the fact that you have one of the best players in baseball the best hitter in baseball a future Hall of Famer but that you beat the Yankees he’s leaving the Bronx and coming to Queens what does that mean to you I I think it’s symbolic game and it’s huge I mean you’ve been on the other side of this as a Yankee fan the Mets have always been second citizen in the 80s there was a period where the Mets ran this town sure but overall historically it’s been dominated by the Yankees there was no way for the Mets to ever match that history or that Prestige or the power of the pin stripes well this was the one move that could get things turned around or at least level the playing field they needed the Mets needed Juan stto the Yankees happened to trade for him they took the gamble they got to the World Series they fell short and Steve Coen went out there and took him away from the New York Yankees the Big Bad allmighty Evil Empire 27 championships the Mets took him away that’s step one it’s a huge step it’s great now obviously the key is going to be winning that’s the you know stealing stealing s away that’s hard but winning and having sustained success that’s going to be hard too so we’ll see if the Mets could do that but obviously this is huge for them to level the playing field and after you do something like this to me that means nothing can’t be accomplished as far as the met Yankee battle goes speaking of the Met Yankee battle s inquiring minds want to know about the correspondence going on this evening between you and your former boss and Yankee fan Mike franceso what are those text exchanges been like lately the last few hours I sent Mike a little text just letting him know the varsity now resides in Queens and that is it I think that says it all Mike has been doing it look when I was a listener listening to Mike with the pink Cadillac and the Yankees always talking about the varsity The Varsity the Metro AV we’ve had that when I worked on his show so I thought that would be a funny little text to send him on the night that the Mets steel wo away from the Yankees but s along those lines now I me look be giddy you won you get to call you get to you know take your dance in your Victory lap here but last year’s team was a fun team built on chemistry that had a chance to play loose because there were no expectations that’s gone and done with how do you think this group will be able to handle the pressure of now being the varsity and the clear-cut favorite to win the national League East great question I know this Aon I don’t know how the group’s going to be able to handle it I know Juan SoDo will handle it and I think Lindor can handle pressurized spots as well but Juan stto has done it he’s done it in New York he’s done it elsewhere he’s won a World Series he’s done it on the biggest stages before Lindor coming off a terrific postseason I’m not worried about them handling the expectations although that is a factor I trust Mendoza I trust Sterns now I want to see them build the rest of the team out this was a huge first move to me their off season depended on putting Juan so win right field a top that order now it’s okay what’s next bring Alonzo back or what are you going to do with the rotation in the bullpen so long way to go here but I wouldn’t be worried about anything as far as the pressure goes because I know Juan sto and Lindor but specifically Juan sto is going to be able to handle it s congratulations my only surprise is that I thought once you saw the news you’d be sprinting across the George Washington Bridge to join us in studio I can’t believe we got to do it on the zoom I I thought you’d be flying in here uh for this breaking news but uh it’s a great day for Met fans no doubt a I love Soo not even he can get me to commute to the city on a night I don’t have to how traffic that traffic those tolls no thank you but let’s go mat a so yes all right gentlemen Anthony McCarron Chris lepry you got to follow up that act but uh you know we’ve got a ton of reaction we’ve gotten some of the news Anthony I want to get your reaction to the news that you know around 300 p.m. 400 p.m. it looked like he was staying in the Bronx and then be boom Steve Cohen like he’s done uh in his financial career just said I’m going to get this done yeah and and apparent and obviously Juan stto the the idea of staying a Yankee uh had little sway over stto I think and that’s fine he wanted the the biggest contract it’s the right thing to do I’m sure that the Players Association is very happy with Juan stto and Scott Boris today for that and that’s fine and it was a it was a huge move uh Money Talks look we always we always talk about free free agency you know what’s what are what are the factors going to be money is the biggest Factor money was the biggest Factor here in the biggest free agency that we’ve ever seen and the Mets got it done and I you know look it’s a it’s a good day to be a Met fan as as everybody has said it’s a great day to be Steve Cohen because he dictated you know he’s a guy who’s got the money and he’s he went after the guy he wanted and the money got the guy he wanted and the Mets are better for it yeah I’m a little surprised at some of the initial reaction I’m seeing out there on social media so on and so forth with the Yankees offer and people saying well he clearly didn’t want to come back to the Yankees he wanted the Mets just because the offer was in the same ballpark $5 million less one extra year but like you said it seems to have been clear from the get-go even when we heard stto speak in the minutes after the Yankees lost the World Series that this was going to come down to the finances and the money and when you look at the Met contract and the offer you know the Yankees were right there but not quite where they needed to be and as we talked about right in in the open of the show here before we heard from all the gentlemen in Dallas and so on and so forth was you know I don’t think Steve Cohen was going to be denied so it was okay this guy wants the biggest contract and the most money I’m going to make sure my offer is representative of that and then he we’ll let him does he really want to go back to the Yankees for a couple million dollars less or is this really about the ultimate the ultimate contract the years the aav the total amount the signing bonus up front the opt out all those things seem like the Mets checked all those boxes maybe we’ll find out more about the specifics of the Yankee offer but the whole idea if he didn’t want to come back to the Yankees he just wanted the Mets it’s a great day for the Mets but I think he’s on the Mets now because they made the best and most lucrative offer yeah no doubt about that 765 million over 15 years the largest contract in sports history and Anthony obviously the sport of baseball knew this day was coming it’s why the Nationals traded him to the Padres it’s why the Padres traded him to the Yankees and everyone kind of had an idea what he was going to demand on the open market so some people didn’t think he would top Otani 700 million cuz he didn’t pick so we were talking like 600 6an he crushed it that’s what I’m saying he crushed it how do you think it went from maybe 650 maybe 675 to 765 I think because of the players involved uh here aan because the Yankees had such a desire to retain him and because the Mets and the richest single owner in baseball wanted him so badly and then oh yeah the Dodgers were lurking and the Red Sox were talked in there I I’m not going to profess that I know how deeply involved the Red Sox were but they kept getting mentioned then they kept getting in into reports about how they they made this kind of offer I mean those are four high-powered those are the four biggest jewel franchises probably right now in the sport uh to come up with this kind of money for this kind of player so look I mean the teams have it Amon I mean they’re they’re making money right I mean you know open your books MLB let’s see what it is we always hear that this is this industry is a 10 billion doll industry it keeps going up and up and up that’s how players who really to me should be thought of as entertain ERS as opposed to like work a day lunch PA guys because they’re not bad this is more like Tom Cruz getting whatever he gets for a movie or a package of movies because uh Juan stto is Tom Cruz in terms of you know the equal sort of stardom in his field perfect storm for stto in the best way possible obviously the markets involved like Anthony said his age the length of the contract hitting free agency at such a young age cuz he’s been around for a while already the way in which he performed in the regular season the way in which he performed in the postseason World Series included and the way in which he performed in this market you know Washington yeah World Series okay San Diego but to come to the Bronx knowing what was ahead we’ve seen a lot of guys kind of themselves walking into free agency knowing the pressure of what’s to come in the offseason he stared that down and answered it in a big way with one of his best seasons as a professional so I think checking all those boxes and you get Cohen’s money and then Stein brener and those two coming together and battling it out and mixing the Red Sox with these other markets I mean it was just the perfect scenario for him perfect timing perfect place for him to cash it in the Big Y so what are we up to Mission Impossible 12 starring Tom Tom Cruz Steve Cohen and Juan’s in there too exactly all right we now want to bring in SNY Mets analyst Todd zal and Todd I want to start with uh you know the Yankee Met dynamic because you played in that Subway series you played in a bunch of games so you know that rivalry as well as anyone as a uh you know guy who played for the Mets how do you put in perspective the Mets stealing a future Hall of Fame Famer away from the Yankees I think it’s pretty impressive I think it’s uh goes to um a couple of things I think um it goes to not only the fact that Stephen Alex Cohen um have made a commitment to spend money and spend money wisely but I think it also goes to the last couple of years of watching the franchise um build and the excitement surrounding this year to be a destination and I think that’s one of the things that has fundamentally changed um in the Cohen era is that um the Mets seemingly are now a destination um location and this is as big an indication of that fact as anything else and I think it’s got to feel good um for some of the Mets Personnel for some of the guys like me that are not just analysts of this franchise but have played for it and have always felt um a little underappreciated at times even when the team’s very very good um because of you know what happened across town and this is a I think not just a big player coming across town but an iconic player that I think until the 11th Hour was thought to be going back to the Yankees and ends up in a Mets uniform so it’s a big deal obviously it’s a big deal on the field we all know the numbers and we’ve seen what uh he can do but obviously someone who knows the game as well as you do in the Mets lineup how would you describe the impact he’s going to make on this franchise on the field uh hard to hard to even imagine um what kind of impact he can have because um look he’s a prolific home run guy he’s an RBI guy he’s a clutch hitter he’s had great success in postseason um he’s hit uh be you know in in front of a guy like Aaron judge last year and you know you could argue that that gave him a lot you know better um you know results or at least pitches to hit but I’ve also seen him when he was on a Nationals team that was completely depleted and he was hitting with nobody around him and he still keeps his on base percentage near 400 still can hit the 30 plus homers Drive in 100 and be one of those guys that um you always know can be the threat in the lineup so putting him in a lineup that’s got uh the sort of Lindor combination with uh Brandon nmo and and guys to be yet to determined maybe at the top of that line of Mark Vientos um as well uh he’s going to be a guy that fits in has great success sure but um adds a different Dynamic to this lineup uh from the left side that this Mets team hasn’t seen in a long long time or maybe ever uh as a player who had a great career you know how important chemistry is uh more than anyone else especially uh to us Outsiders and obviously from following the Mets last year as the analyst you know how important that chemistry was to the success that they had last year but I got to imagine it’s easy to have great chemistry when there’s no expectations and you top expect expectations how does that change that chemistry when all of a sudden now there is pressure and you’re expected to win the division I think that’s the to me that’s the most important question Aon because last year’s team was a team that didn’t have great expectations going in that they had decent expectations started off slowly built um and I think a lot of what you saw from June 1st until um the middle of October was a team that was talented by that came together that galvanized and had a chemistry a culture and those words are thrown around oftentimes um very Loosely but this team had a very distinctive culture and chemistry that um I think was able to allow them to block out the noise the um you know the sort of disappointment at the start having a rookie manager having expectations uh not be um met and just put themselves in a foxhole and find a way to have a magical season anyway and I think if anybody that’s looking at the Mets and I really trust David Sterns and Steve Cohen at the top of that um that Heap to say it’s important for us to get an iconic Hall of Fame type player but it’s also important that we get a player that’s not going to disrupt um the type of Team chemistry that exists now and should exist going forward and I think they spent a lot of time and I’ve I’ve heard some uh reports some internal reports and some feedback saying that they wanted to spend some time with him and see what he’s like personally because honestly aan as a guy watching um as a fan or an analyst there’s times where it feels like as an opposing player an opposing organization you see this guy is all about himself and yet you have to have a guy that’s going to play for somebody other than Juan stto and that I think is something that they convinced they were convinced that he will bring and if he brings that and the culture remains um solid and team one then I think he’s an amazing fit for this organization for a long time and one thing we all know he can handle New York coming off a remarkable season for the one year uh with the Yankees uh you know it hasn’t been coming down the pike for as long as Wan sto’s free agency but certainly in this town and around the Mets the impending free AG gency of Pete Alonzo has been a major topic of conversation for the last year and a half how do you think the signing of SoDo impacts Alonzo’s future with the Mets I mean every indication is that it will have some impact I don’t know what the impact necessarily um is going to mean you know you you have to understand um just in baseball Dynamics as a whole that everything was waiting on Wan sto right the chips are going to fall after Wan stto makes that decision to decides where he wants to go and that can go a couple of different ways that could make Pete Alonzo and Scott Boris feel like hey Pete Alonzo can be a part of something that’s going to be very very special for a long long time but maybe that changes the dynamic of looking at things from um I’m going to get everything I can get out of free agency and being a guy that’s like hey I will do X Y or Z to remain in New York Met to be a part of this um this buildup and this amazing uh signing so you know what it’s going to be interesting I’m sure um the analysts inside along with David Sterns and the rest of the Mets um Player Development team are looking at this signing as okay we got the first big one out of the way and now we still have some holes to fill if it’s not going to be Pete Alonzo at first base does that mean it’s Mark Vientos and if it’s Mark Vientos then who’s going to be the third baseman and there’s not just um a hole that’s going to be left there uh with without trying to make a big impact there so um I think it’s going to be really interesting to watch how that plays out and how Boris and Pete handle um this free agency now that wotto is off the market but off the market as a potential teammate uh for a long time for Alonzo if he’s able to return all right as you mentioned obviously still some holes to fill but with Juan stto where do you think the Mets now stack up in the National League look offensively I mean they are about as good as anybody in the National League I mean that’s an iconic hitter that’s not just a guy that can hit home runs and and and Drive-In runs but um his ability to control the strike zone to allow extra pitches to get on base um with that incredible um ability to control the strike zone and and take the walks and keep his on base percentage up I mean he’s a huge weapon in that Mets lineup I think the rest of it is yet to be determined quite honestly you’ve got Brandon nmmo you’ve got um you know Francisco Lindor you’ve got Mark Vientos and then I think the the future of this lineup Alvarez certainly is a guy that’s going to be in the bottom uh half of that lineup and I expect great things out of him moving forward but um there’s some holes in there that I think are still with question marks there some guys uh that are written in in pencil and if some of those goes those guys come back whether it’s Jeff mcneel and he has a turnaround year um and whether it’s Starling Marte and that’s going to be an interesting uh you know case study to see where he um ends up playing with stto being most likely the guy that’s going to be out right field um I think there’s still some question marks there some guys written in pencil right now um that are going to have to materialize for this to be a solid lineup up and down right now they’ve certainly got themselves better but I think there’s still some work to do yeah definitely holes to fill but just hearing you rattle off those names had to make Met fans pretty excited about the potential of that lineup Todd zal thanks for joining us here on SNY our coverage of breaking news Juan stto signing with the Mets appreciate your time Todd so $765 million for 15 years that gets him to about what 40 41 uh you’re looking ready to look for watch a 41y old DH but what a moment and what a night for the Mets and their fans it is it’s incredible aan um you know it’s a lot of money obviously but that’s a lot of player too uh I mean he is a future Hall of Famer that you know we keep talking about guys he’s he’s matched up against or compared to uh you know Sarah Langs uh from MLB tweeted out this incredible stat earlier about uh Juan sto’s reached base in in in a game three times uh 263 times in his career it’s the most by any player before they turn 26 the guys who he passed on the list Mickey mantel and Jimmy Fox that gives you an idea of where this career Arc is heading so that’s how you get to $765 million uh but look I mean as some of our other guests have said aan the Mets work is not done here they have got to add now I mean I know it sounds crazy because they’ve already spent but they need to fill other holes here I think they need to look at the high end of the pitching market now I know that’s not David Stern’s style uh you know Corbin Burns or Max freed for six seven years but now I think that they are so all in that they need to spend a little bit there too I I don’t think that they that uh you know crafting the pitching staff is the way to go here I want a sure thing in here I like the way you think you’re starting a new game show spend Ste Cohen’s money uh how do you put in perspective this news now I mean look obviously this has been the big ticket and the big fish that we’ve all been waiting for in the decision before the winter meetings kicks off from a met standpoint outside of Landing the player I like the fact that the opt out is in year five so we’re not going to be dealing with this like in the next couple of years it gives them a nice Runway and a nice window here when he’s right in the juicy part of the prime of his career and you know we’ll kick that down the road for another day to worry about if and when it comes to be um but you know you’re talking about filling out the rest of the roster when we first came on about an hour ago I think I said something along the lines of like wow I’d be very surprised if feed Alonzo ends up back with the Mets now not because the Mets don’t have the money Steve Cohen has endless amounts of money but I just wonder when David Sterns and the Mets front office look at the construction of this roster the necessity to fill out the pitching staff and some of the other things we’ve talked about Lindor and nmo stepping up as leaders in the clubhouse this year now you’re going to add stto to the mix he’s obviously gonna be a focal point of this the emergence of Mark ventos and I got to wonder where Pete Alonzo’s head’s going to be Now is it going to be in the camp of well I want to come back with this group and be a part of this collection of stars or hey this is my chance to cash in in free agency I’m going to go look for the best offer maybe the Yankees enter the conversation now in the aftermath of missing out on stto so to me it’s going to be a very fascinating time right now entering the winter meetings as we move on to plan B and the second tier free agent guys the Mets get take care of the you know priority number one obviously at the very top of the list but there are still holes to fill and questions to be answered for both of the local teams yeah this was the biggest sweep stake this off season but now there’s so many questions you mentioned now how do the Mets fill in and go for it on now how do the Yankees pivot will certainly be a big question here in New York Anthony McCarron and Chris lepry thanks for being part of our live coverage of the breaking news Juan stto to the Mets $765 million for 15 15 years I want to thank all our guests who hop on but don’t go anywhere we’re taking a break and we’re going to have much more coming up here on SNY Honda Sports night we’ll have more coverage of Juan sto’s historic signing or agreeing to sign with the New York Mets keep it here on SNY [Music]
๐ Related Hashtags: #BREAKING #NEWS #Juan #Soto #agrees #deal #York #Mets #SNY
Disclaimer: This video is embedded directly from YouTube. All rights to the video and content belong to the original creator, SNY. For more details, please visit the original source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9zZep2j2jU.
