Juan Soto's 'chilly' Francisco Lindor relationship only breeds more Yankees regret

When Juan Soto left the New York Yankees for the New York Mets in exchange for more money, the heftiest drama he and his team could conjure up was some silly nonsense about a security guard who didn't treat his family right/the stingy Yankees denying him a personal suite at the stadium. By all accounts, things went very well during Soto's season in the Bronx — within the clubhouse walls and on the field. When push came to shove, though, Steve Cohen and the Mets outbid Hal Steinbrenner and the Yankees.

Mets fans spent all of 2024 bragging about how Steve Cohen's moneybags were coming for Soto, only to pivot on a dime after he signed and claim he chose the Mets because of ... something more. Something closer to his heart. Something familial about them. Please.

Soto chased the money, an extremely normal thing to do, creating a void in the Yankees' lineup that's had us side-eyeing all the obnoxious Mets fans who now get to enjoy his services. But as the dust settles on Year 1, Soto seems more unsettled than ever.

Brian Cashman's slapdash Plan B resulted in 11 more wins than David Stearns' megalith Mets. Following arguably the biggest collapse in MLB history, stories of discord in the clubhouse are leaking right on time. Mets captain Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil — who've never gotten along — reportedly exploded over the summer after a minor moment in Philly.

More importantly for long-term purposes, though, Soto's reputation as a "chilly" teammate who likes to keep to himself seems to have been reborn after a one-year hiatus in the Bronx. He was isolated in San Diego, a perfect fit alongside Aaron Judge, and now, again, a business-like thorn standing in contrast to the flamboyant Lindor.

But who really cares about that? As long as the team is winning, what does it matter how a team's superstars go about their business, and who follows who on Instagram? Well ... the team lost. Lost a lot. And it's kind of a big deal when the $800 million superstar openly questions whether the leader he inherited is the real captain after all.

Juan Soto facing Francisco Lindor drama in Year 1 after leaving Yankees for Mets' money

"[Marte] is literally the leader of this team - I feel like he's actually the captain of this team," Soto reportedly said late in the year. "He's bringing everybody together. He's bringing the energy that we need. He's a guy who has been stepping up every single time, it doesn't matter what."

Of course, those Mets continued freefalling after that statement; Marte apparently wasn't bringing what the team needed, either (or, at least, his message was lost on key portions of the clubhouse). Leaking retroactively that a team security guard didn't let your family member deliver a meal, thereby partially blaming him for your departure, is deeply silly. Calling someone who isn't your official team captain the "actual captain" mid-spiral? Yeah, that'll undermine the relationship you need to keep afloat for the next decade real quick.

Of course, winning cures everything. Which is why it was such a big deal that they decided not to do any winning right around the same time.

Soto likely doesn't regret leaving the Yankees' clubhouse for the crosstown club. After all, he got what he was after, and he put up his numbers. But 162 games into a manufactured relationship between two big-money superstars, Plan A doesn't seem fated for a storybook ending, either.