Yankees announcer Michael Kay took issue with a comment Juan Soto made this week after the new Mets outfielder was left off the All-Star Game roster.
Speaking to reporters after the news broke, Soto said, “It happens,” and it’s “a part of baseball.” He was then asked a follow-up question about whether he wanted to play in the game.
“What do you think? I think it’s a lot of money on the table,” Soto said.
Kay made it clear on “The Michael Kay Show” on Wednesday that he wasn’t a fan of that comment.
“Oh, goodness gracious. Talk about being tone deaf,” Kay said. “C’mon, Juan. … You’re making a smidge under $47 million this season. And you’re upset you’re not making the All-Star Game because of an All-Star bonus that you have in your contract? Do you know how bad that looks that you said that? … Do you even realize how that makes you look?”
On top of players splitting a prize pool — in 2024, it was $640,000 split among 32 players on the winning team ($20,000 each) — Soto would have been owed $100,000, according to a bonus clause in his contract.
That’s a potential $120,000 squandered. Peanuts compared to the average annual value on his 15-year, $765 million contract ($51 million), but a lot of money nonetheless.
Soto has made the All-Star game four times in seven seasons (not including the COVID-shortened 2020 season). He was left off of the roster in his first two seasons and then he made the team four consecutive years.
