Boone’s Blunt Warning: Aaron Boone Sends Stern Message to Juan Soto Ahead of Yankees-Mets
Aaron Boone doesn’t think orange and blue suit Juan Soto well.
After helping steer the New York Yankees to the 2024 World Series, Soto joined their crosstown rivals. The superstar outfielder made history by signing a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.
On Monday, the Yankees played the Mets in one of their final spring training tune-ups. Soto received a mix of cheers and boos from the opposing fanbases at Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone jokingly recalled his conversation with Soto.
“I told him he looked terrible in that uniform,” Boone said, per SNY.
Boone added that it was “good to see” Soto, even if the 26-year-old was no longer wearing Yankees pinstripes.
“Obviously Juan was great for us. But just as important, he was a great guy in our room, a great guy in our clubhouse,” Boone said. “Honestly, it was actually really good to see him and just catch up for a minute. But yeah, I thought he looked terrible in his colors.”
Soto laughed and took Boone’s ribbing in stride when a reporter brought up the skipper’s comments about his new uniform.
“You know, it’s just Booney,” Soto said. “You know he probably don’t like the orange and blue, but it is what it is.”
The Mets mark Soto’s fourth different team in as many years. Boone probably thought Soto looked his best when batting .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs for the Yankees last season.
Soto continued to swing a scorching bat in October, registering a 1.101 postseason OPS. He ended the ALCS with a three-run blast in the 10th inning of a Game 5 win.
Boone will no longer have Soto’s bat to augment reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge in his lineup. He’ll instead turn to offseason acquisitions Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt.
However, Boone will see Soto again fairly soon. The Mets are going to Yankee Stadium for three games in mid-May.
Soto isn’t anticipating a warm welcome back to the Bronx during the Subway Series.
“Yankees fans, they can surprise you with anything,” Soto said. “So I’m expecting the worst.”
