Brian Cashman defends the Yankees’ decision not to offer Juan Soto a free suite, emphasizing their longstanding policy on stadium accommodations.
New York: So, the Yankees decided not to re-sign Juan Soto, and it stirred up some chatter during the MLB Winter Meetings. They had to talk about Soto, who’s now with the Mets.
One thing that caught everyone’s attention was the whole suite situation. Apparently, the Mets offered Soto a free suite at Citi Field, while the Yankees didn’t extend the same offer at Yankee Stadium.
Cashman explained that they have a history of players paying for their suites. He mentioned that even big names like Aaron Judge and Derek Jeter had to pay for theirs. The Yankees were willing to give Soto a discount but weren’t about to change their long-standing policy.
Cashman said, “Some high-end players that make a lot of money for us, if they want suites, they buy them.” He also talked about how they provide seats for family members and have a nice family room setup.
It’s easy to poke fun at the Yankees for possibly giving the Mets an edge in the Soto deal. But it’s kind of like Homer Simpson searching for a peanut—just a bit silly.
Soto wanted that suite, and the Mets were ready to give him both the cash and the suite for free. The Yankees offered a lot of money but expected Soto to buy his own suite. If it was that important to him, he could’ve asked for more cash from the Yankees to cover it.
In the end, the Mets’ offer was worth more than the Yankees’ because of all the extras, including that suite. The Yankees tried to match the value without the suite and seem okay with their choice. After all, there’s not much difference between a big payday and a suite.
Ultimately, the suite situation is just a small piece of a bigger puzzle. It really shows how committed Mets owner Steve Cohen is to snagging top talent like Soto.