Baseball fans think Yankees made a subtle dig at Juan Soto at unveiling of new pitcher Max Fried
After New York Yankees leadership, including general manager Brian Cashman, handed new pitcher Max Fried's mother and girlfriend flowers at his unveiling, some baseball fans believe the move is a subtle dig at Juan Soto.
Fried's mother, Carrie Fried, and his girlfriend, were sitting in the front row in the Bronx for Fried's New York introduction and presented with white bouquets before the Yankees' newest starting pitcher said a word.
The possible dig at Soto comes after the Yankees reportedly refused to grant Soto one contract incentive - a free luxury suite at the stadium. The Mets gave in to that part of his record-breaking contract.
Soto's family, like the rest of the Yankees' roster, would have been forced to continue paying for the VIP treatment, with the Steinbrenner family not electing to have the richest man in baseball jump the line.
After spending the 2022 season in the Bronx, Soto was the prize of baseball's offseason, with the Yankees reportedly offering $760million for the 26-year-old to stay put.
Instead, Soto signed a 15-year, $765million deal to go from the Bronx to Queens to join the Mets.
Yankees leadership handed Max Fried's mother and girlfriend flowers at his Bronx unveiling
The possible dig comes after the Yankees reportedly refused to grant Soto one incentive
Yankees fans have chimed in saying the organization hands out similar white flowers for every recent big, free-agent signing.
New York might not care if they offended someone who turned down the richest contract in sports history from their front office to sign one in a bordering borough.
Soto’s agreement is the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, topping Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a deal signed last December.
That agreement included $680 million in deferred payments and is valued at just under $46.1 million annually for baseball’s luxury tax.
Soto’s agreement is believed not to include deferred money, leaving its average annual value at $51 million. Its length tops Fernando Tatis Jr.'s $340 million, 14-year contract with San Diego that runs through 2034.
