PORT ST LUCIE, Fla. — Juan Soto, he of the largest contract in sports history, showed up to his new job on Sunday morning.
Just over two months have elapsed since the broad-shouldered slugger inked that historic, 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets. During that time, anticipation filled the void. Debates about whether Soto was “worth” such an eye-popping sum dominated headlines, airwaves and sports bars. Mets fans eagerly bought their kids overpriced uniforms for Christmas. Winter weather pelted Citi Field. The team continued signing players. Soto readied himself for a season of astronomical expectations.
And on a windy February day in East Florida, a new, captivating, extravagant era of Mets baseball got underway in earnest.
Soto, clad in an all-black, $190 sweatsuit and carrying a $3,350 backpack, arrived at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie right around 7 a.m. Birds chirped peacefully in the dew-drenched morning as the man of the hour made his way into the Mets’ spiffy spring facility. A few early arriving fans tossed welcomes his way; Soto threw back a thumbs-up. No Yankees fans made the cross-state journey to hurl tomatoes.
“I’m really happy to know where I’m going to be for the next 15 years,” Soto told assembled members of the media after Sunday’s workout. “More than excited to spend it with this group of guys.”
Predictably, Soto’s first day was light on baseball activities; the first full-squad workout on Monday should bring a bit more intensity. He worked in the indoor batting cage, then stretched alongside other position players on a back field. As he limbered up, lines of fans in royal blue and orange pressed against the chainlink fence for a glimpse. One particularly enthusiastic Mets fan greeted the outfielder by hollering “WELCOME TO THE TEAM, SIR” and “BRING US TO GLORY” at the top of his lungs.
Then Soto journeyed to the main diamond for batting practice, hordes of reporters and cameras scurrying in his wake. He launched a smattering of moon shots off the black batter’s eye in center field. Impressive for most; light work for Soto.
“It’s exciting,” Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza said after the workout. “You could see it, all the people. There’s a lot more cameras. As soon as he stepped on the field, when he was working toward the cage, you could just feel it.”
Excitement included, the day still felt somewhat unceremonious, oddly normal, rather ho-hum. It was almost like Soto had been familiar with Port St. Lucie for five years already. There were no firework shows or skywriting displays, no showmanship or opulence. Just a very rich man in baseball pants going through the motions.
That energy contrasts significantly with the significance of Soto’s cross-town hop. His signing was a signal of intent from Steve Cohen, the sport’s wealthiest owner. For a century, the Big Apple has belonged to the Yankees. But in committing a fortune to Soto, Cohen broadcast to the world that he and the Mets are embarking on a quest to change the status quo.
But the scale of it all — the hype, the expectations, the pulse-pausing gobs of money — none of that seems to have changed Soto. That’s not particularly surprising considering that he has been fending off pressure since he was a teenager.
“I’m here to be the same guy I’ve been since day one,” he replied when asked what type of role he’ll assume in the Mets clubhouse. “It’s Juan Soto, just with a different uniform.”
That unwavering bravado is part of what makes Soto such an impactful force. In Game 1 of the 2019 World Series, as a member of the Washington Nationals, Soto took ace Gerrit Cole deep three days before he was old enough to legally buy a beer. During the 2024 ALCS, Soto sent his Yankees to the club’s first Fall Classic in more than a decade with an extra-innings homer. In the game’s biggest moments, he does not wilt or flutter. He shines.
And while the environment of day one of spring training is a far cry from Game 7 of the World Series, some of the characteristics that so often propel Soto to greatness in October were already on display in February.
