Excitement was truly off the charts when Juan Soto signed a gigantic $765 million contract to play for the New York Mets. Fans were already dreaming of a World Series run with their new superstar. But in New York, big contracts come with big expectations—and even bigger scrutiny. Every single play is dissected, every moment analyzed. gets looked at very closely. So, when Soto’s debut didn’t go perfectly, the criticism started almost instantly. Some fans complained, and a well-known New York sports radio voice even suggested that the Mets paid way too much money for him.
One game in, and the hot takes are already flying. Welcome to New York, Soto.
Soto was up against the Houston Astros with a familiar face from his days in the San Diego Padres, Josh Hader on the mound. So he thought his former teammate would pitch his signature—a fastball, like always, of course. But that’s where things went wrong. Knowing Soto better than anyone, Hader threw a slider that clipped the outside zone. And Soto? Well, the frustration on his face was too evident to miss. But for his critics, that wasn’t the worst part. He actually had a moment to turn things in the Mets’ favor. But he then struck out swinging against the Astros’ closer, Hader, concluding the season opener in a 3-1 defeat.
It was the last strikeout that quickly sparked arguments, particularly on sports radio in New York. A tweet from the station WFAN referenced comments made by host Boomer Esiason said: “Boomer says Juan Soto is not a ‘needle mover,’ and the Mets ‘way overpaid.”Translation? ‘Needle mover’ refers to someone who excites fans and attracts significant attention. Boomer made this statement about the Mets’ new star after just one game, which ignited a heated discussion.
Boomer says Juan Soto is not a “needle mover,” and the Mets “way overpaid” @WFANmornings pic.twitter.com/q8W6bz6mpG
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) March 28, 2025
But why did Boomer say Soto doesn’t move the needle? On his radio show, Boomer explained his reasoning: he feels there are only three needle movers in baseball currently—players who bring the sense of something special. In his opinion, those three are Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Paul Skenes, with Soto clearly snubbed. When asked about Soto, Boomer bluntly replied, “No, I don’t. I don’t think he moves the needle.” He clarified that it doesn’t mean Soto isn’t a great baseball player, but the $765 million he signed is simply too high for him.
Boomer believes the only reason why Soto signed such a grand contract is that multiple teams were trying to sign him, which subsequently drove the Mets to pay more. He even compared Soto to the prodigy the Los Angeles Angels have, noting that Ohtani gets special TV pop-ups when he bats because he’s such a big deal. But Soto? Boomer doesn’t think he receives that type of exalted attention, so perhaps the Mets overspent simply because they could afford it. Interestingly, the radio host wasn’t alone in holding this opinion.
The gamble on Soto: History offers hope and caution for Mets
There’s another expert, Jim Bowden with the opinion that the Mets “grossly overpaid.” Someone high up with another MLB team simply called the deal “insane.” Another player, Nick Castellanos, said he was “a little bit surprised” by the disparity between Soto’s haul and Ohtani’s. In a poll of baseball experts, 10 of them rated Soto’s contract the worst signing of the offseason. It wouldn’t be wrong to presume there’s a handful of people in the league who are skeptical about Soto.
Aug 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) tosses his helmet after striking out against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports
But it’s worth noting that sometimes large contracts that initially appear ‘too expensive’ turn out to be very good deals. Mets fans know this is what happened with Francisco Lindor. He signed a $341 million deal that some questioned, but then he emerged as a team leader. And he’s just one example. There have been other players, such as Alex Rodriguez with the Yankees or Miguel Cabrera with the Tigers, who have also played brilliantly and won titles after signing huge contracts that were criticized at the time. History offers some hope that Soto’s deal might ultimately prove worthwhile as well.
And it’s also true that not every big-money deal goes as planned. Mets fans will humbly recall Bobby Bonilla. The Mets signed him to the highest contract in the ’90s, but he fell short of expectations. Other teams have also endured with expensive signings gone awry, such as Mo Vaughn or Josh Hamilton with the Angels. After just one game, it’s far too soon to determine whether Juan Soto’s contract is an overpayment. Only time will tell if Soto plays well enough over the next 15 years to make this mammoth contract a success. Will Soto play well enough to silence the “overpaid” chatter?
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