Former manager Juan Soto certainly found an interesting way to put the outfielder's big contract into perspective.
Soto agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets on Sunday, the largest contract in professional sports history.
The baseball world was willing to acquiesce to a deal of this size, as the 26-year-old also left the Yankees after one season to play for a crosstown rival.
But Padres manager Mike Shildt, who was on Soto's coaching staff for a season and a half in San Diego, injected a little humor into the proceedings.
He compared Soto's contract, which has an average annual salary of $51 million, to that of a famous TV judge.
“To her credit, Judge Judy (Sheindlin) made $47 million (in 2012),” Shildt said Monday at the Winter Meeting in Dallas. stated. According to USA Today. “47 million a year!”
He also wanted to back up the skills of his former players.
“I don't think she can throw a really good curveball or hit a really good slider,” Shildt added.
“She makes far more than anyone before Juan does in our industry. So it's all perspective. Good for Juan. I'm happy for him.”
Soto is coming off his best season in the majors, hitting .288/.419/.569 with an OPS of .989 in front of Aaron Judge, with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 128 RBIs. .
The Mets will add him to a lineup that includes Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and up-and-coming stars Mark Vientos and Francisco Alabaez, who reached the NLCS last season.
The hope is that Soto's addition will help the Mets reach a level of sustained success and lead the team to its first World Series championship since 1986.
“Judge Judy” will be broadcast from September 1996 to July 2021.
