Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has no regrets about the way the team negotiated with Juan Soto, even when the superstar opted to join the New York Mets. Soto’s decision to sign a 16-year, $805 million contract with the Mets has been the subject of speculation, including that a free family suite at Citi Field won him over. However, Cashman insists those advantages were not the deciding factor.
Brian Cashman defends the decision not to offer a suite to Juan Soto: ‘I don’t regret it’
Cashman compared the situation to his 2008 negotiations with CC Sabathia, in which a lucrative offer, not extravagant gestures, secured the pitcher. “The truth is, I hit him over the head with a lot of money,” Cashman said. “It wasn’t about any magical aura or presentation; “It was the money.”
The reports del New York Post suggest that the Mets’ inclusion of a free suite for Soto’s family helped seal the deal. However, Cashman stated that the Yankees do not include provisions of this type, not even for top players such as Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton or Carlos Rodon. Previous Yankees stars, such as Derek Jeter and Alex Rodríguez, also did not receive similar perks.
“I don’t think the suite was the determining factor, especially at that economic level,” Cashman said. “We have respected our approach in the negotiations, and I have no regrets.”
“Some high-level players who make a lot of money for us, if they want suites, they buy them,” Cashman added. “If they ever want to be upstairs, they have the option of being downstairs or upstairs and protected and enjoy it, we have a large family room prepared with babysitting service. It’s a great, safe facility to take care of families and things like that. But obviously when we have a roster with a lot of great players and high-level players, we’ve gone through a process in previous negotiations where this could have happened, and this is what we did. Let’s fulfill them. So there is nothing to regret.”
Cashman dismissed the idea that a family-friendly approach could have made a difference, referring to reports that Soto became angry earlier this season after a Yankees security guard denied a family member and a cook access. to an exclusive area for players. He noted that the incident, although it was resolved quickly, did not reach his office or influence the negotiations.
“I never heard of these issues until after I signed,” Cashman said. “If it was something that important, I would have found out about it from Scott Boras. “None of that came up during the conversations.”
Mets owner Steve Cohen’s offer, $45 million higher than the Yankees’ 16-year, $760 million proposal, likely played the biggest role. Cashman noted that historically, money has been the primary factor in free agent decisions.
Soto is expected to address the media in Queens on Thursday, but Cashman is adamant that the Yankees stuck to their principles. “In the end, it’s almost always about the money,” he said, echoing his approach from previous negotiations.
Although Soto’s selection stings Yankees fans, Cashman’s comments underscore the Yankees’ longstanding policy and belief that financial competitiveness, rather than fringe benefits, defines their approach to acquiring great talents.
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