Yankees' All-Star Game moment with Juan Soto once again renews free agency discussion

There's a misguided interpretation out there suggesting Yankees fans are still obsessed with Juan Soto's departure and that they can't get over the fact he opted to sign with the Mets. But that couldn't be less true. Most of us have moved on, accepted reality, and are focused on winning a World Series before Aaron Judge's prime expires.

It's not Yankees fans' problem that the topic of Soto's situation with the Mets keeps coming up via insiders, Instagram stories, public commentary and ... photos at the All-Star Game.

The Soto-Francisco Lindor relationship has been an ongoing discussion since last season, and even Steven Cohen recently addressed it. That's not Yankees fan fiction. Nor is Soto's behavior on social media when it comes to Yankees-related posts.

The Mets' historic 2025 collapse and current worst first half since 1995 are fueling these storylines. They're not being generated out of thin air. And if you really want to point the finger? Blame Getty Images after this photo surfaced.

Juan Soto's All-Star Game picture with Yankees players spurs social media discussion

Soto has spoke plenty on his decision to sign with the Mets. The responses are what they are. Yankees fans have felt they've ranged from disingenuous (that the Mets were better built for the short- and long-term) to unconvincing (different iterations of "it is what it is"). The reality is that it doesn't matter because Soto isn't going anywhere. He's a Met for the next 15-plus years. Nobody is taking that contract.

But you know what can be avoided? More things that create some sort of a connection to the Yankees, like an exclusive photograph with all of Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler. To be fair, Rice was the only one who was a teammate of Soto's, so this might've just been an exclusive "New York All-Stars" pic for the media.

It's nice. It's fun. We love Soto. Everybody loves Soto. Who wouldn't want a picture with the guy? But there's nothing out there with Nationals or Padres All-Stars. And we also know his time with both of those franchises wasn't exactly revered, as he reportedly forced both of those exits.

We get it, Mets fans. Soto is yours. But that's the crown jewel sitting atop a heaping pile of nothing, as the rest of the roster is largely in shambles with considerable reconstruction on the way. It that weren't the case, there'd be a lot less noise whenever the Yankees came up in conversation regarding Soto.

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