After signing a record-breaking $765 million contract to join the New York Mets, Juan Soto has thanked new teammate Brett Baty for allowing him to wear No. 22 by gifting him a brand new Chevy Tahoe. The exchange took place during Mets spring training in Port St. Lucie, as Soto handed Baty the keys to a new black Tahoe valued at anywhere from $60-90,000.
As shared by the New York Post, it had been written into Soto’s contract with the Mets that he would wear the No. 22, which became central to his identity as an All-Star with the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees. That provision came at the expense of Brett Baty, the Mets’ first-round Draft pick in 2019, who had been wearing No. 22 and had to concede and take the No. 7 instead.
Soto, however, made sure that Baty did not go unrewarded for allowing him to wear No. 22, giving him a black Tahoe with the message “Thanks for #22” written on the back window.
“We did our sources and tried to make sure that’s a car he likes,” Soto told reporters. “He was talking with one of our guys and he was letting him know that it was the car of his dreams and everything … I made sure he got it.”
During his introductory press conference in December, Soto had explained why the No. 22 was very personally significant to him, and why it had been important enough for him to include the number as a provision in his contract with the Mets.
“Twenty-two is the first number I had when I made it to the big leagues,” Soto said. “It was important to me. When the Nationals gave me that number, I was really happy, really excited. That was the first number I’ve ever wore and I am more than happy to keep embracing that number.”
The No. 22 is an important number to the Mets as well, as it was worn by both players in franchise history to have won World Series MVP. Donn Clendenon wore No. 22 on the Mets’ fabled 1969 team, and Ray Knight used the number on their championship 1986 team.
