The New York Yankees said all the right things after Juan Soto bolted across town as a free agent. They made sure their fans knew they went to the unprecedented area of $760 million – $400 more than reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge – to try and resign the superstar slugger. And then, they pivoted to a new plan of investing in run prevention and better defense.

Still, there were some hard feelings, and rumors swirled that the Mets sealed the deal with extensive perks for Soto’s family.

Long-time MLB broadcaster Chris Rose thinks Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner confirmed that the family was an issue.

When asked if he was surprised that Soto bolted for the Mets, Steinbrenner said:

“I wouldn’t say I was surprised, but I really didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what was going to happen. Juan’s got a big family. They were all very involved, so there were a lot of different voices in his ear talking to him and giving him advice, and I really just didn’t know. So, I wouldn’t say I wasn’t surprised; I was certainly disappointed.”

On his Baseball Today podcast, Rose’s podcast partner Trevor Plouffe asked if that was a subtle dig when Steinbrenner mentioned Soto’s family.

“It wasn’t subtle; it was a dig,” Rose said.

He went on to say that Steinbrenner was saying, “There are a lot of cooks in that kitchen with Juan Soto.”

“There’s a lot of people you need to please. It’s not just as easy as sitting down, one-on-one, man-to-man with Juan Soto to hammer out a deal,” Rose said.

The Yankees reportedly refused to include a suite for the Soto family in the deal, citing that they never gave one to Derek Jeter or Aaron Judge.

However, the New York Post reported that the Mets went above and beyond in courting Soto’s family. In addition to the suite, Soto gets four “premium” tickets, security for the family at home and on the road, and family services.