You’ve heard BT & Sal bicker and banter about the Mets making a run at Juan Soto in free agency, and given the allegiances, you know which color pinstripes they each bleed.
But of all the things Sal hates about baseball fans, Sosa in Harlem called in Thursday and encapsulated the absolute worst case of self-loathing big/little brother syndrome.
“I think we're making a big fuss over Soto a little bit too much. Like, yeah, he's a good player, but as the Bronx Yankees fan over there BT said, he hasn't had that many great seasons, man, like maybe two. So let's just see what he does like on a big stage like in the Bronx, then like we'll take it from there.”
And as BT could just laugh, Sal EXPLODED.
“Hold on a second - Yankees fans have been taking bows for a month and a half here that they got Juan Soto. I bring up that the Mets are gonna get him, and all of a sudden, Soto sucks?” Sal screamed. “For two months, it’s Juan Soto is the greatest thing ever and Judge and Soto are better than Mantle and Maris and Gehrig and Ruth, and now all of a sudden I say Steve Cohen is gonna be in play and I think the Mets gonna get him, and Soto is not that good and that's all talk?”
BT admits Soto is one of the best hitters in baseball, not necessarily players, and he doesn’t have ‘all-time amazing numbers’ – and Sal, calmer, can’t believe it.
“I mean what are we doing here? Are we really going to minimize Juan Soto now? Name the players in baseball you’d rather have than Soto?” Sal asked. “He’s second-lowest odds to win the MVP; guys who aren’t good, don’t have those odds!”
“I’ve always though Soto has the most discerning eye in baseball, no one has the approach and discipline he does,” BT said. “However, he’s deficient on the bags, and a horrendous outfielder.”
But when Sal asked BT if he thinks Soto is a Hall of Famer and BT said yes, Sal exploded again.
“He’s a Hall of Famer! We’re overhyping a Hall of Famer?” Sal asked. “Certain guys don’t belong, but Soto is unquestionably one of the best players in baseball to date. He’s 25, and he’s an offensive machine.”
“You’re wrong on this; Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, that’s an offensive machine,” BT replied. “Juan Soto’s amazing in his own right, but he’s not amazing at everything, and you are recreating a statistical template; what you’re saying he’s done, he hasn’t actually done to the degree you’re saying he’s done it. I think he's a terrific hitter, but he's slightly overrated."
All we can say is it’s clear this debate is going to continue ALL year.
