Heyman: Juan Soto had 'negative feelings' from Yankees security removing parent this season
The New York Mets dished out the biggest contract in Major League Baseball history, signing Juan Soto to a massive 15-year, $765 million deal on Sunday night.
Mets owner Steve Cohen wasn’t going to be denied in his quest to land the generational superstar and paid a king's ransom to land Soto. With the Mets winning the bidding, the Yankees were a close second-place finisher.
In an effort to impress Soto, Cohen insisted on another meeting with the All-Star, inviting him and his representatives to his $32 million Beverly Hills mansion, where he could make a more personalized pitch.
This pitch partnered with his deep pockets impressed Soto during his free agent courting process.
Cohen hired a catering company that served Latin food for lunch and showed a film created by the Mets in his home theater, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
"Cohen brought to the meeting his wife, Alex, and father-in-law,” Heyman reported. “He also brought Edgar Suero, the Mets traveling secretary, who explained logistics and family perks.”
While on an appearance on MLB Network Monday morning, Heyman noted that Soto had "negative feelings" about an incident that occurred in April or May where a Yankees security guard removed one of his parents from an area in Yankee Stadium. The same security guard reportedly also removed Soto's driver and chef later in the year, forcing them to stand outside in the rain.
“The Mets have excellent intelligence. They were aware that while Soto liked being a Yankee and loved having Aaron Judge protect him in the lineup and lead them all in the clubhouse, he allegedly was upset early in the year by an overzealous Yankees security guy who disallowed a family member and his chef/driver from certain areas,” said Heyman.
It is believed Soto ultimately forgave the incident; despite that, the “Mets were aware, and you can bet they will make sure nothing like that happens in Queens," Heyman added.
In the end, money is what sealed the deal and why Soto is moving to Queens. If Soto held this incident against the Yankees and it was another motivating factor to leave the Bronx, that security guard will likely be on the unemployment line in the coming days.
