Juan Soto deletes comment on Yankees Instagram video after fans mobbed him

The New York Yankees released a pump-up promo video on their Instagram page on Tuesday, and former Yankee Juan Soto decided to get involved in the affair. What started as an innocent enough idea from Soto turned ugly fast.

Reacting to a clip in the video of himself whiffing on a Max Fried curveball (in slow motion -- nice work, Yankees media team), Soto decided to slip into the comments section of the promo vid in an attempt to playfully punk his former organization.

Juan Soto tried to poke fun at the Yankees on Instagram, but it backfired badly

Soto and his nine-digit bank account momentarily cosplayed as a hapless internet troll, writing, "rent free" beneath the video, preceded by a trio of laughing emojis just to show us all that he doesn't really care. Thanks for the clarification, Juan!

The issue with Soto's comment -- which was pretty light-hearted, if he was indeed joking -- is that Soto ultimately deleted it. Ah, the old post-and-delete mistake. Not surprisingly, onlooking fans had an absolute field day over the ordeal.

The Yankee fan account @ColeIsKing_ teed off on Soto, mocking Juan for taking time out of his luxurious life to engage in such pettiness.

Soto ultimately deleted the comment due to getting mobbed by poisonous Yankees fans in the replies, but the Dominican superstar only made things worse by not standing his ground.

Juan Soto deleting his comment on the Yankees' Instagram only made him look worse

Say what you want about Yankees fans punking Soto for the comment, but in and of itself, the comment was harmless and not entirely hateable. Soto was merely poking fun at a franchise that he's been honest about respecting (and possibly missing, if you believe Aaron Boone's stance) in the days since departing. Soto's been outspoken about his enduring respect for Aaron Judge as well.

There's no real vitriol here coming from Soto. In essence, Soto's leaned into his "alma mater" status as a former Yankee, even if fans aren't on board with it. He's obviously happy that he spent time with the organization and had significant success in the Bronx during a season that ended up a few wins shy of a World Series title.

The "rent free" joke fell in line with this playful relationship that Soto has attempted to establish with the organization since he burned his pinstripes in favor of Queens and a few extra million bucks.

But deleting the comment? This only ruined the whole positive experience that Soto was going for. The comment turned from being a playful joke into something deeper, a hint at Soto's insecurity. Even if that insecurity isn't actually there, he gave fans every reason to believe it totally is.

It's a shame, because Soto's engagement on socials should be seen as a positive. It still can be, too, once Soto learns the cardinal rule: If you're going to put yourself out there and comment or post, stand your ground, good sir.