Does $765M for Juan Soto even matter? ‘Judge Judy was making $47M’

DALLAS — There was certainly envy and jealousy, but the 29 teams who didn’t dip into their banking account to land Juan Soto, declined Monday to lash out at the New York Mets, criticize owner Steve Cohen or mock the massive paychecks coming Soto’s way the next 15 years.

But, oh, about that record 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest in sports history?

“I was shocked when I just saw the bonus,’ Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said of Soto’s $75 million signing bonus. “My goodness.’

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt, who was on the Padres coaching staff when Soto played 1 ½ years in San Diego before being traded last year to the New York Yankees, took a different view.

“To her credit, Judge Judy (Sheindlin) was making $47 million,’ Shildt said. “Forty-seven million a year!

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“I don’t think she throws a really good curveball or can hit a good slider.

“She’s making way more than anybody before Juan has made in our industry. So, it’s all perspective. Good for Juan. I’m happy for him.’

Even Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who understandably was disappointed that the Red Sox lost out in the bidding despite offering about $700 million, said he still was thrilled for Soto.

“From my end,’ Cora said, “it was fun. It was fun in a way, you know, to get to know people and players of that status. It’s amazing.

“The kid, he gets it. He gets it. Let me put it that way. It was a good experience, and I learned a lot.’

Cora was eating dinner at a nearby restaurant Sunday night with Red Sox president Sam Kennedy and executive vice president Eddie Romero when their cell phones buzzed with the news. The next thing they knew, agent Scott Boras and his staff were walking in to the restaurant to celebrate.

“It was kind of like the Gladiator with him walking in,’ Cora said.

“It’s good for baseball. That’s the way I see it. I think everybody was waiting for this to happen. Obviously, it was interesting the way everybody reacted when we were in the restaurant.’

Instead of lamenting what could have been, the Red Sox kept working the phones Monday in hopes of spending that money pm other free agents. They’ve got their sights set on starters Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, along with third baseman Alex Bregman, who played for Cora when he was the Houston Astros bench coach. Bregman is expected to meet with the Red Sox this week.

“Alex is a good player, man,’ Cora said. “He’s a complete player. He’s a player that’s been on winning teams his whole career. Good defender. Offensively he’s really good. He’s a guy that a lot of people are talking about, and I do believe he can impact a big-league team, a championship-caliber team.

“He’s that type of player.’

And if the Astros can’t land Bregman, who has been offered a six-year, $156 million contract from the Houston Astros, they’ll move onto the next group of hitters.

“We have plan A, plan A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4,’ Cora said. “There’s a lot of ways to accomplish what we set to do. We’ve been talking about winning the division and making it to the playoffs. There’s different avenues, different ways. They’re going to attack them and hopefully we can execute.’

Soto’s contract is worth more than original price 22 owners paid for their teams, according to The Athletic, and his $51 million annual salary is nearly the total of the Athletics’ entire payroll of a year ago.

“Is it daunting?’ Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “Of course. There’s curiosity about where the next free agents are going, we have to embrace it. … We know what the groundrules are. We know what the landscape is, and we embrace that challenge.

“Personally, I love watching good baseball players. When you have them in one dugout at one time, I hate that we play against them. I enjoy the game, but it forces us to do better. I don’t mind that at all.’

“We know we’re challenged financially. Things have been different for us than the Mets and Yankees and Dodgers and some other clubs. We’re OK with that. We love that challenge.’

And, oh, is it ever a nightmare trying to knock off the Dodgers – who have won the NL West 11 of the last 12 seasons.

“Look, they’re a challenge,’ San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “They’re always going to be a challenge. They have some of the best players in the game. They have a high payroll. It’s a really good team for a reason.

“But you have to like the competition part of it, and you have to look forward to hopefully beating a team like that.’

It’s no different for the Kansas City Royals who, playing in the AL’s smallest market, till found a way to win 86 games last season and reach the playoffs.

“We have to be creative,’ Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We have to put the best 26 guys on a roster or the best 40 guys on a roster, not the best one or two.

“I still think at the end of the day, you have a chance to compete against those guys. Soto is going to hit four to five times a night. Those are impactful at-bats, but there’s other ways to combat that with a full 26-man roster.’

Besides, if baseball has proven anything, it’s that money doesn’t guarantee a darn thing. The Yankees haven’t won the World Series since 2009. The Mets haven’t won it since 1986. The Dodgers’ championship last season was their first in a full season since 1988. And there hasn’t been a repeat World Series champion since 1998-2000.

So we’re going to blame Cohen and the Mets for simply doing everything possible to try to end their championship drought?

“We want to win,’ Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, “and we have an owner that is willing to do whatever it takes.’

Really, that’s all any fan can ask for, right?

The challenge may be greater for the small markets, but certainly, baseball has proven it’s not impossible to still overcome the financial disparity.

“I think it makes it harder,’ Francona says, “but I certainly don’t begrudge teams for doing it if they can. They’re not breaking the rules. We’re going to have to make really good decisions, and we’re not going to be able to out-spend on mistakes, so we have to limit those.’

Besides, the Mets have spent plenty of money on stars before and haven’t won. The Philadelphia Phillies haven’t won the World Series with Bryce Harper and Trea Turner on $300 million contracts. So, a team like Atlanta isn’t about to throw in the towel now, still believing there’s no reason why they won’t be returning to the postseason for an eighth consecutive year.

“Our goal is still going to be the same thing,’ Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s going to be to win the division.’’

There just happens to be a certain $765 million who makes the path a little more difficult.

“I’ve just kind of been numb to things like that,’ Snitker said. “I don’t really care who signs who, what teams put together, things like that because we still have to play for six months.

‘I’m happy for the individuals that are rewarded for what they’ve done. It’s great. We’re in a great business.’

And for some, well, a little more lucrative than for others.

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