When Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, it sparked a battle cry from fans and critics alike. Bill Simmons took to his podcast to express his adoration for Soto leaving the New York Yankees and heading to the cross-town rival.

“I was delighted because this really ruins the Yankees,” Simmons said. “There is no Plan B. This was the guy. They have this short window with Judge and Cole. This was the guy they were grooming to be like the next major guy. Now what do you do if you’re the Yankees?

“Plus you lose him to the Mets, the team that for the last mid-90s you’ve been kind of kicking their butt. The Mets had a couple of tiny runs here and there, but for the most part, it just felt like the Yankees were in the driver's seat. Now it just feels like you just have this rich owner who doesn’t care.”

Simmons has a history with the Yankees, as he's a Boston Red Sox fan himself. Regardless of that, he makes an interesting point about the Yankees. After trading for him when he was a member of the San Diego Padres, it seemed Soto would be the guy. After all, he is still 26 years old and has more of his career ahead of him.

Juan Soto's departure to the Mets leaves a bad mark for the Yankees

Soto won the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals and was a big reason why they won. He rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension with Washington, which led him to being traded to the Padres. Although he never fit in with San Diego, he found his footing again with the Yankees.

With Aaron Judge being 32 and Giancarlo Stanton 35, it appeared Soto was the franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future. When the Yankees traded for him, that was the expectation. However, the Mets swooped in and pulled off a major heist. He batted .327 in the postseason, while stars like Stanton and Judge both struggled under the bright lights.

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Also, this isn't the first time a player has switched from the Yankees to the Mets. Some have included Curtis Granderson, Dwight Gooden, and Darryl Strawberry.

However, those moves didn't have the magnitude that Soto has. This move feels reminiscent of Shohei Ohtani signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That transaction propelled the Dodgers to win their first World Series since 2020.

It'll be interesting to see if Soto will have the Ohtani effect for his new team. Regardless, the Mets are getting a superstar.