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Juan Soto’s $765 million contract has given people the wrong impression of the type of player he is, one Hall of Famer says.
David Ortiz, speaking on the radio in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, said the expectations around Soto have been too high and don’t line up with the type of player he is.
The former Red Sox designated hitter believes some people think Soto should have stats that line up with MLB’s all-time home run leader.
But Ortiz sees things differently.
“People think Juan Soto was paid to do what Barry Bonds did. No, people. Soto was paid to do what he always does: hit 30 homers, push 90-100 runs across, hit .280-.290, and have a great on-base percentage,” Ortiz said, as translated from Spanish.
“The problem is that Juan Soto entered free agency at the perfect time with the perfect agent, you know what I mean? So since everyone wants to be involved in the negotiations for a player of his caliber, and because of the Mets’ owner, who said, ‘The only way he doesn’t play for me is if he goes somewhere else for less money.’ He won with that argument alone. We’re not talking about the best player in the big leagues nor the most complete. He’s a great player who at the end of the season will have the numbers he consistently has.”
Soto’s Baseball Savant page looks like one would expect with gaudy peripherals, but his in-game numbers have been far from Soto-like.
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After an 0-for-4 Wednesday afternoon during a Mets 9-4 loss at Citi Field to the White Sox, Soto saw his slash line drop to .202/.333/.404 in May with his season OPS at .745.
Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the 0-fer that he’s seeing positive indicators that Soto could be turning things in the right direction.
“Honestly, today was one of those days where he didn’t hit the ball hard, but I thought that his foundation, his lower half, was in a better position,” he said. “For me, that’s a good sign.”
The Mets next play the MLB-worst Rockies in a weekend set, which could be the boon Soto needs.