MLB Controversies of the Week: Yankees fans torch Juan Soto’s jersey; Johnny Damon alleges discrimination over Donald Trump friendship and more

Juan Soto caused a stir in New York City after leaving the New York Yankees and choosing to sign with the New York Mets in what was the biggest contract in sports history.

Meanwhile, former Yankee and Boston Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon shared that he drew flak for his friendship with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The two-time All-Star claimed he was on the receiving end of insults when he revealed his friendship with the business magnate-turned-politician.

In addition, Bryce Harper and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are looking for better paydays, as Harper is rumored to be restructuring his contract, while Guerrero reportedly rejected an extension from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Finally, Cleveland Guardians Gold Glover Steven Kwan expressed disappointment after good friend Andres Gimenez was dealt to the Blue Jays.

That, and more, in a recap of MLB news from the past week:

---

New York Yankees faithful express anger toward Juan Soto's move to the New York Mets

Juan Soto's unveiling at Citi Field (Imagn)

New York Yankees fans can't help but express their spite over Juan Soto's move to Queens. The right field star swapped the famous pinstripes for the blue and orange with a contract worth an astonishing $765 million for 15 years. This led to Yankee fans burning Soto's jersey out of pure anger.

Yankee fans were hoping that Juan Soto would re-sign with the team. After all, it was revealed after his Mets move that general manager Brian Cashman pitched a $760 million deal for 14 years to Soto. However, free-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen got Soto's approval after he promised to take care of the star's family whenever they wanted to attend games.

---

Two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon reveals backlash after backing President Donald J. Trump

Former World Series champion and All-Star Johnny Damon drew heavy criticism in 2006 when he left the Red Sox for the Yankees. However, that wouldn't be the last controversy that the outfielder would be embroiled in, as he recently claimed that he's been a target of discrimination since being vocal about his friendship and support for President-elect Donald Trump.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the former major leaguer revealed that people treated him differently when he became outspoken about Trump. He also boasted about his friendship with the two-time U.S. president.

"Unfortunately, whenever you say you're friends with Donald Trump, we have a lot of people who just can not understand that," Damon said.

"We've just been really good friends, and I'm glad that he's back in office and I'm glad we have somebody who's going to be out there, somebody who's going to answer questions, somebody who's going to do the work to make America great again."

---

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper and agent Scott Boras reportedly seeking better contract amid Juan Soto's hefty payday

Pundits and analysts predicted that the Juan Soto debacle would set off a domino effect in terms of player contracts and salaries in the future. This is precisely what is apparently happening within the Philadelphia Phillies organization, as super agent Scott Boras is seeking a better deal for his client, two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper.

MLB insider Jim Salisbury claimed Boras might be plotting something toward the improvement of Harper's 13-year, $330 million contract that he signed in 2019.

---

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rejects Toronto Blue Jays' massive extension offer

Per reports of insider Mike Rodriguez, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rejected a $340 million extension from the club. The incident happened way before the Juan Soto saga and is perhaps a sign that Guerrero is seeking a better payday after bouncing back in 2024.

Guerrero posted a slash line of .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. He finished sixth in AL MVP voting, won the Silver Slugger Award and appeared in his fourth-consecutive All-Star Game.

---

Guardians star and multiple-time Gold Glover Steven Kwan expresses disappointment after Andres Gimenez's move to Toronto

One of the more surprising moves of the hot stove was Cleveland Guardians All-Star and Gold Glover Andres Gimenez's move to Toronto. Cleveland shipped off the esteemed second baseman in what became a platoon of players and prospects. Fellow All-Star and Gold Glover Steven Kwan couldn't help but express his disappointment when the team elected to move on from his good pal.

Kwan posted a photo of Gimenez's move on his Instagram story and accompanied it with a sad emoji.

MLB: JUL 06 Giants at Guardians - Source: Getty

The duo has won the Gold Glove Awards in their respective positions since 2022. They have helped the Guardians contend for a postseason spot in the last half-decade as well, so Kwan's disappointment is certainly not surprising given that the Guardians made it all the way to the ALCS last season.

​