In the end, what Juan Soto felt was a profound sense of comfort. He expressed, "It seems like they are the right family — a family that wants to win but definitely that wants to take care of their players and their families." His agent, Scott Boras, echoed these sentiments, stating, "He felt that over the long term, he and his family would be most comfortable in this environment. That was the decision that was of most priority to him."

The Mets Offer More Than Just Money to Juan Soto

Financial Considerations and Beyond

Indeed, the New York Mets offered the most money. However, as Soto emphasized, it wasn't just about the financial aspect. He said, "Beyond the financial component, I picked the Mets because they are committed to 'grow a dynasty.' It was one of the most important things. What you were seeing from the other side (last season) was unbelievable. The vibes and everything, the feel and future that this team has had a lot to do with my decision." During his meetings with teams, he asked philosophical questions, such as some about farm systems. Stearns explained, "We talked a lot about both our approach to roster building and the young talent that we have coming. And our ability to continuously supplement our major-league team with ownership resources while also investing heavily in our minor-league system. Juan's been around enough organizations, and he's certainly been around the league enough, that he has got a pretty good feel of what leads to sustainable competitiveness. And I think he felt like our vision aligned with his."

The Personal Touch and Family Connection

Soto emphasized a rapport with his future owner as much as any major free agent in recent memory. He'd been close with Ted Lerner in Washington, turning down an extension there in part because a sale of the team looked imminent. In San Diego, he was close with Peter Seidler, who'd wanted to extend him before dying last offseason. This winter, he had the opportunity to develop a similar relationship with Steve Cohen. The Mets went the extra mile by flying Ralph Garcia, the 93-year-old father of Alex Cohen, Steve's wife, across the country to meet with Soto to emphasize how deep the family's connection to the Mets ran. They also talked up the behind-the-scenes upgrades the club has made under Alex Cohen's direction to better cater to players' families. Soto noted the relationships Steve Cohen has created with other Mets players, such as Francisco Lindor and Edwin Díaz. So when he sat down with what Boras called the “Supreme Court of Soto” to make his decision, the Mets stood out.

Making a Lasting Impact

What's Soto going to spend some of that $765 million on? He said, "The first thing that came to mind was, I'm going to try to help a lot of people back in the DR (Dominican Republic). I know that there are a lot of kids that have talent and they can have a bright future, but they don't have the support to do it. And I feel like when you sign a contract like that, that's the first thing it brings to my mind, to help the community and try to help everybody around my country — and try to create more chances, more opportunities for the people to grow and keep moving forward. You never know who's going to be the next Juan Soto, who's going to be the next (Shohei) Ohtani, the next Bryce Harper, or who's going to be the next Scott Boras, who's going to be the next Steve Cohen. I want to give them that little hope."

The Memorable Recruiting Video

The Mets' recruiting video for Soto lasted 2 minutes, 45 seconds. Just enough to make a memorable impression. Soto said, "My favorite part was the video." At the beginning of his news conference, Steve Cohen thanked his son, Josh, for “contributing a phenomenal video.” Josh Cohen deferred credit to the Mets’ creative team, which is led by executive vice president and chief marketing officer Andy Goldberg and Mets vice president for creative content Bobby Clemens. For the video, the marketing team solicited input from the Mets’ baseball operations leaders and players. They highlighted the future of the club and showed Soto how much they value families. Only a select number of people saw the video before they presented it to Soto: the Cohens, Goldberg, Clemens and Stearns. Goldberg said, "We keep it a tight group. At the end of the day, it’s also great storytelling and great creative, what the team here does. The more inputs you have, the more diluted it becomes. You keep that circle of influence very small on what’s going to make a great piece whether it’s an ad or a video for Juan." Boras referred to the video as impressive. Toward the end of the video, the Mets showed their statue of Tom Seaver in front of Citi Field with a statue of Soto next to it. Josh Cohen said, "We were just grateful that he had such a great response to it. This team is incredible."

Looking Ahead for the Mets

The Mets' deal with Soto doesn't change their focus on other aspects of the offseason. They need to re-sign Pete Alonso or find a viable alternative at first base. Throughout the offseason, Mets officials have offered the same stance on Alonso, calling him a “great Met” and saying they’d “love to have him back.” They also need to make further additions to their pitching staff. For the rotation, they've explored adding at least one more starter after signing Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes to a group that includes Kodai Senga and David Peterson plus depth options such as Paul Blackburn and Tylor Megill. Sean Manaea is another player from last year's team who lingers in free agency. Stearns added, "We continue to have resources. Steve and Alex continue to support us in very robust ways. Where we spend those resources remains to be seen, and how far we go remains to be seen. But throughout their time here, Steve and Alex have supported the baseball initiatives to the fullest extent, and I'm very confident they'll continue to do so."