After officially signing his record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets last week, Juan Soto shockingly revealed that he hadn't spoken to any of his former Yankees since they lost the 2024 World Series in October.
"I haven't talked to any of those guys," the outfielder said at his introductory press conference in New York. "We talked to them through playoffs, end of the playoffs but after that... I haven't talked to any of [them]."
While this was certainly a strange admission considering that a) the Yankees were in the running for Soto up until the very end and b) he had just played the entire 2024 season alongside them—there was actually a simple explanation for his radio silence.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale shared on X this week that, "The reason there was no communication between Juan Soto and his former Yankee teammates simply is that Soto changed his cell phone number. He was bombarded by outside calls during his free agency and wanted privacy."
The reason there was no communication between Juan Soto and his former Yankee teammates simply is that Soto changed his cell phone number.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 13, 2024
He was bombarded by outside calls during his free agency and wanted privacy.
Soto now is reaching out to former Yankee teammates.
Nightengale also added that, "Soto now is reaching out to former Yankee teammates."
In the end, the Yankees came up short—offering Soto a 16-year, $760 million contract—one year longer and $5 million shy of what owner Steve Cohen and the Mets ponied up.
The 26-year-old's mega-deal to play baseball in Queens is the largest in American sports history.
More of the Latest Around MLB
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Juan Soto's Radio Silence Toward Former Yankees Teammates Had A Simple Explanation.
