Joe Benigno’s Jets misery was washed away by reports of the Mets landing Juan Soto on a 15-year deal, as arguably the biggest free agent the sport has ever seen picked Queens over the iconic Yankees in a stunning move.
It was one that Joe didn’t expect, but as he told Evan and Tiki on Monday, it was a pleasant surprise to see that the Mets acquired a player in Soto who he believes can become the greatest position player in franchise history.
“I thought he was gonna sign with the Yankees,” Joe said. “I didn’t think Hal Steinbrenner could allow it to happen, but God bless Uncle Stevie. He got it done. You gotta be thrilled as a Mets fan.
“I don’t know what Stearns thought about this. This is on Uncle Stevie. He went out there and he made the play that he absolutely had to make.”
The Yankees are littered with championship history and Hall of Famers, and Joe says Soto, as a Met, has a chance to be to the Mets what the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle to the Yanks.
“Juan Soto has a chance to be something he could never be as a member of the Yankees,” Joe said. “And that is the greatest Met of all time.”
Joe is so confident that Soto will work out in Queens, that he plans on buying a Soto jersey before he ever plays a game as a Met, breaking the mold of his typical handling of new imports. His excitement is through the roof, but like always, he is ready for the team to get back to work and take the next step towards building a championship roster.
“He’s 26 years old, he’s already won a championship. To me, right now, he’s the third best player in baseball behind Ohtani and Judge,” Joe said. “I’m pumped. But I want Pete back now…if we’re gonna win championships with Soto, I want Pete to be part of it.
“We got more moves to make…but having Soto in the lineup, you can’t say enough. The guy is tremendous.”