Sal made big-time waves on social media last week when he called out Juan Soto for looking to walk in a big spot against the Marlins, and said the new Yankees superstar needed to be looking to do damage in those clutch situations.
After mashing a three-run home run on a 3-0 pitch on Saturday, Soto said after the game, when asked about his impact on the rest of the Yankee lineup, that he is there simply to set the table for Aaron Judge behind him.
Sal didn’t like that mindset at all.
“Soto says literally, ‘My job is to get on base and hand it to Judge.’ I’m here to say ‘literally it’s not,’” Sal said. “Dude, his job is not to walk. What are we talking about here?
“You don’t get $500 or $600 million to look for walks in big spots.”
Sure, Soto’s ability to draw walks and get on base better than anyone else in baseball is coveted, but Sal wants him looking to swing the bat and break games open in crunch time, not to step up to the plate with the mindset of passing the baton.
“There are certain spots he will need to produce, and I don’t mean walking,” Sal said. “If I’m looking to sign him in the offseason, that’s gonna be a big factor in whether I would want to give him $600 million or not. I want him to be the guy, not a guy who says his job is to get on for Aaron Judge.”