The Yankees have lost Juan Soto to the rival Mets, and Sal Licata says it is a landmark in a trend that has spanned back years of the Evil Empire not acting like their nickname anymore.
Noting that the Yanks were thoroughly outbid by the Mets when factoring in signing bonus and opt-out clauses, Sal says Hal Steinbrenner simply didn’t do enough to keep their superstar in the Bronx, the one who took the Yanks to a World Series for the first time in 15 years.
“The Yankees offer, while it was close to the Mets, it wasn’t good enough,” Sal said. “Yankees did a lot to be able to come out of their comfort zone, but hearing Brian Cashman and reading reports…the Yankees ultimately didn’t do enough.
“Instead of being mad at Juan Soto, from a Yankees perspective, my ire would go towards the owner Hal Steinbrenner.”
Sal says the Yanks were lucky to keep their homegrown star in Aaron Judge, as the captain took less money to stay in the Bronx rather than signing with the Padres, and now, the offer to Soto is more evidence that Steinbrenner doesn’t seem willing to truly go above and beyond in the way Cohen is in Queens.
“Bottom line, you wanted the player, and you lost him,” Sal said. “Because you didn’t do enough.”