New York Yankees fans have been grappling with the news that Juan Soto chose to join the New York Mets over their team, and this frustration has been echoed by the team’s play-by-play announcer, Michael Kay. On his radio show, Kay had a strong reaction to Soto’s decision, calling it “piggish.” The source of his anger appears to be reports that the Yankees didn’t offer Soto a free suite for his family, while the Mets quickly made that concession at Citi Field.
This controversy sheds light on some of the Yankees’ more traditional policies, such as requiring players to pay for their own suites and the long-standing ban on facial hair, which may have led them to miss out on a generational talent in his prime. Kay’s comment about asking for a suite while negotiating a $765 million contract seemed to emphasize his frustration with Soto’s demands, labeling it as “piggish.”
In a clip that gained traction online, Kay went further, suggesting that if the Miami Marlins had offered Soto the highest salary, he would have signed with them, implying that money was the driving factor behind his decision. While Kay’s outrage and the broader reaction from Yankees fans may appear hypocritical, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Yankees’ legacy has often been built on their ability to outbid other teams. A prime example of this was when they signed Alex Rodriguez in 2007 to a record-setting 10-year, $275 million contract, the largest in MLB history at the time.
