TAMPA, Fla. — Aaron Judge wasn’t that surprised by Juan Soto‘s decision to sign with the crosstown New York Mets but disagreed with his former teammate about which team is in a better spot to compete.
Soto passed on a competitive offer from the Yankees in favor of a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets this winter, a decision the superstar made in part due to a belief that the Mets gave him the best chance to win over the next 15 years.
Judge, who won AL MVP batting behind Soto and helped the Yankees reach the World Series, disagreed.
“That’s his opinion. He can say what he wants. I definitely disagree with him,” Judge said. “He’s going to be in a great spot. It’s going to be great having him in the town. We’re going to be battling back and forth for quite a few years.”
Judge, speaking to reporters Monday following his first spring training workout, also said that he was happy for Soto and that he wasn’t shocked by the decision.
“I wasn’t too surprised by it. I think that’s where he wanted to be. I think that’s where is best for him and his family,” Judge said. “He got a pretty nice deal over there. I mean, you can’t say no to that. But I’m happy for you.”
Judge also addressed the birth last month of his daughter, Nora Rose, saying he feels extra motivation to play well this year.
“Having the chance to have her grow up and watch me do what I love, if there’s any way I can inspire her through playing this game to do something special, that’s going to be pretty cool,” the Yankees captain said.
“I’m getting older,” added Judge, who turns 33 in April. “I don’t want to be the old man here in a couple of years, so I got to stay on top of my game. So she’s definitely going to motivate me, definitely keep me on my toes. and it’s going to be a fun couple of years, that’s for sure.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.