Yankees fan Josh Hart drops 3-word reaction after Mets lure Juan Soto away with $765M deal
Josh Hart was one of many who reacted to the blockbuster deal that saw Juan Soto leave the New York Yankees to join their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets. Hart, a Knicks star and outspoken Yankees fan, shared his thoughts on the move.
The Yankees lost the bidding war for Soto, who signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, per the New York Post. The deal reportedly includes an opt-out after five seasons, a $75 million signing bonus and no deferrals, making Soto the highest-paid player in MLB history.
On X (formerly Twitter), Hart responded to the news with a simple, resolute message:
“Still Go Yanks!”
Earlier, he had reacted to the news with a single-word tweet expressing his shock.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees offered Soto a 16-year, $760 million deal, but it wasn’t enough to keep him in the Bronx.
Soto had joined the Yankees last offseason in a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres and had an exceptional year in New York, posting a .288/.419/.569 slash line with career highs of 41 home runs and 7.9 WAR.
Josh Hart’s Yankees connection runs deep
Josh Hart’s loyalty to the Yankees is rooted in family history. His great-uncle, Elston Howard, was the first African-American to play for the Yankees. Hart’s father, Moses, was Howard’s nephew.
In September, Hart honored his great-uncle by throwing the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium. Howard, who passed away in 1980, remains a significant figure in Yankees history.
In a CBS Sports interview in 2016, when he was still playing for Villanova, Josh Hart said he had Howard as a role model.
“Someone who’s in your family who got to the highest level, who won (four) World Series championships, was an MVP, is someone you look up to, is somebody you aspire to be in your respective sport,” Hart said (per MLB.com).
“I used him as a role model, just everything he was able to do: The first Black player to play for the Yankees. The character that he had is something that I try to resemble. Dad was always telling me stories about when he used to go to the ballpark and watch him play and just learn from him.”
Howard played 13 seasons with the Yankees from 1955 to 1967, earning the American League MVP title in 1963. After retiring as a player, Howard became a trusted coach for the Yankees, contributing to their 1977 and 1978 World Series titles.