The New York Mets finally got superstar Juan Soto back in the lineup on Wednesday night as they try to end their horrific 12-game losing streak. But this is the Mets, so not even getting the $765 million man in the lineup is going to lead to positive headlines.
Soto hasn’t played since April 3 thanks to a calf strain as it has interrupted the beginning of his second season in Queens. Throughout his first campaign with the team, it seemed like there was always drama with the famed New York media psycho-analyzing every single move that he made.
But now Soto may have just brought even more drama upon himself.
Juan Soto was asked at a press conference before his return to the lineup if he had talked to any of his teammates throughout the Mets’ long losing streak and if he was trying to lift his teammates in any way. But instead of offering some kind of hopeful ray of optimism for anyone and everyone associated with the Mets or following the team, Soto gave a quick denial and said he hasn’t talked to any of his teammates because they’ve been on the road.
Uh oh.
“They’ve been on the road most of the time, so I haven’t talked to them,” Soto plainly stated.
In isolation, this shouldn’t be a big deal. The team is traveling, Soto has every right to focus on his injury recovery. The Athletic spoke to Mets players who confirmed it really wasn’t a big deal.
With the losing streak and all the drama that has followed the team for over a year now, it’s yet another indication that things couldn’t be going much worse for the organization and its fans. And as Soto’s comments went viral, New York media personalities, baseball fans, and everyone in between couldn’t believe what they heard.
This being the New York Mets, Soto’s statement is all the evidence needed to confirm that the team is an irredeemable dumpster fire and the whole thing needs blown up. Whether it’s players not getting along like Soto and Francisco Lindor, politics dividing the locker room, or a manager that seems to be on his last legs, the franchise is ready to explode and no amount of Steve Cohen’s billions can save it.
Surely Juan Soto must have known that these comments would set off a brand new firestorm about what’s really happening inside the Mets locker room. That question was teed up for a boilerplate response. He could have said no and then complimented his teammates and presented a united front. But he obviously didn’t do that on Wednesday. Probably because he doesn’t care.
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