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The Yankees were surprised by Juan Soto’s decision to sign with the Mets.

The New York Yankees appear to still have Juan Soto in their sights, despite the slugger opting to sign with the team’s rival at the end of 2024. New details continue to emerge about how the final days of the Yankees’ negotiations with Soto unfolded before the star opted to sign with the New York Mets.

It appears the Yankees were surprised by Soto’s decision to join the Mets despite many MLB rumors indicating this was a distinct possibility before the move was announced. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Yankees were surprisingly still hoping Soto would re-sign with the team before the star revealed his decision.

“The New York Yankees are convinced Juan Soto was ready to re-sign with them on December 11,” Nightengale wrote in a May 25, 2025, story titled “MLB’s Greatest Comeback Story? Jacob deGrom Looks Like the Cy Young Award Winner He Was.”

“He asked for a little more time, was going to discuss it with his family over lunch, and the next thing they knew, he was signing with the Mets after being persuaded by family members.”

Juan Soto cited skepticism about the Yankees’ future prospects as part of his reason for joining the Mets.

Instead, Soto opted to sign a massive 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets. During a March interview with Sports Illustrated, Soto explained his decision to join the Mets, hinting at skepticism about how good the Yankees would be in the future.

“You see, how long this is going to last?” contract, it all came down to that decision, you know?” Soto said. “What do they have in the farm system?

“How many times can we be good on this team? I know the Yankees are going to be good for the next five, six years. We don’t know after that.”

Juan Soto claims his slow start with the Mets is due to an “adjustment period.”

The Mets could have some buyer’s remorse if Soto can’t increase his production. Soto is hitting just .233 through his first 53 games, well below his previous average of .288 with the Yankees in 2024.

The reason for Soto’s slump to begin his Mets tenure? Jon Heyman of the New York Post revealed details about his conversation with Soto and agent Scott Boras, who cited “an adjustment period” regarding the slow-moving star.

“They both say there’s an adjustment period,” Heyman explained, according to Blake Silverman of Sports Illustrated. “They don’t think it’s about the contract, the record-breaking $765 million deal, they think it’s an adjustment that would come with any situation, whether he’s making $765 million or $765,000.”

MLB Rumors: Yankees Are ‘Aggressively’ Trying to Trade for a New Third Baseman

The Yankees may not be done thinking about Soto, but the front office also plans to make additional moves in the coming months. New York is trying to land a third baseman via trade, according to Nightengale.

“The Yankees are aggressively pursuing a right-handed bat, preferably a third baseman, while also looking for another starter,” Nightengale noted.

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA, and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams