When Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets in December, he did so in part because he felt they put him in the best position to win.
His former teammate, New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, disagrees with his thought process.
"That's his opinion. He can say what he wants. I definitely disagree with him," Judge told reporters on Monday. "He's going to be in a great spot. It's going to be great having him in the town. We're going to be battling back and forth for quite a few years."
While Judge disagreed with Soto thinking he had a better chance to win with the Yankees' crosstown rival, he noted that signing with the Mets wasn't unexpected.
"I wasn't too surprised by it. I think that's where he wanted to be. I think that's where is best for him and his family," Judge said. "He got a pretty nice deal over there. I mean, you can't say no to that. But I'm happy for you."
It would have been hard for Soto to pass up the Mets' offer. He joined the team on a historic 15-year, $765 million deal, which is now the largest contract in MLB history. The Yankees were reportedly the runner-up to land Soto, but their reported 16-year, $760 million offer wasn't enough to keep him in the Bronx.
The Mets' offer was also sweetened by the fact that there is no deferred money and it "has escalators that can reach above $800 million," ESPN's Jeff Passan reported in December.
Soto, in his sole year with the Yankees, hit 41 home runs and 109 RBI with a .288 batting average and a .989 OPS. He helped lead his team to the World Series to cap off the best year of his career.
Like the Yankees, the Mets are trending upwards. They are coming off an 89-73 season that saw them reach the NLCS for the first time since their World Series run in 2015.
Adding Soto to the mix should only mean more success, but only time will tell whether leaving the Yankees was the right move.