Morning Briefing: Soto Holds First Press Conference as a Met

Good morning, Mets fans!

Juan Soto held his first press conference as a member of the New York Mets on Tuesday! Watch Soto’s full introduction here.

When asked if he had spoken with any of his former Yankee teammates, Soto dismissed the idea, saying, “I haven’t talked to any of those guys.” Additionally, Soto’s agent Scott Boras, known for his wordplay, also responded to questions about the Yankees and other contenders for Soto, quipping, “When you’re at a wedding, you don’t talk about the bridesmaids.”

Soto is now a New York Met, though Mets owner Steve Cohen didn’t initially think Soto would be. Jeff Passan and Buster Olney broke down the final stage of Soto’s negotiations on in an ESPN article (ESPN+ subscription required).

Latest Mets News

The back injury that plagued Francisco Lindor in September hasn’t been a problem for him during his offseason workouts. While Lindor says it’s something he’ll continue to monitor, he is currently a “completely healthy player,” according to Mets beat writer Anthony DiComo.

Even after signing Soto, there is still work to do in the Mets lineup. Steve Cohen says the Mets are “still engaged” with Pete Alonso. “Hopefully, we’ll get there,” Cohen told reporters.

Latest MLB News

MassLive’s Chris Cotillo says that the Red Sox have had some talks with free agent lefty John Means. Means has not pitched a full season since 2021, but he’ll surely be at least on some teams’ radars after 44 1/3 innings of dominance (2.64 ERA, 0.789 WHIP) across 2023 and 2024.

According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Will Warren (ranked No. 5 in the Yankees’ system by MLB Pipeline) may be available in trade talks with the Cubs for Cody Bellinger. Warren made his debut in 2024 but struggled, allowing 26 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings, resulting in a rough 10.32 ERA.

When the Padres inevitably begin shopping their players, three-time batting champ Luis Arráez will be on the trade block, writes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. While Fernando Tatis Jr. remains the big name on their roster (though it’s uncertain if how available he’ll be), San Diego will also be listening to offers for almost all of their veterans, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The Angels’ Single-A Inland Empire 66ers is now a Mariners affiliate. Check out the full press release here.

Aaron Judge‘s infamous dropped fly ball from Game 5 of the World Series sold for $43,510 on the Dodgers Auction website.

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David Melendi analyzed slugger Joc Pederson as a potential Mets free agent target.

Dilip Sridhar profiled Seattle Mariners trade candidate Luis Castillo.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki explained how Soto’s decision to join the Mets was partly a family matter.

On This Date in Mets History

1998: The Mets signed 39-year-old Rickey Henderson, and his 1999 season was certainly… interesting. Despite his playing style, Henderson’s performance at the plate was solid, as the veteran put up an impressive .315/.423/.466 slash line in 526 plate appearances.

2001: The Mets brought back another speedster, Roger Cedeño. After his first stint with the team in 1999, New York traded him for Derek Bell and Mike Hampton. Cedeño then returned, contributing 39 stolen bases over the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

Born On This Date: Joe Christopher (1935), J.C. Martin (1936), Ron Taylor (1937), Doug Saunders (1969).

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