Despite labeling Juan Soto as a mercenary, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo shares why Mets superstar is undeserving of Yankees fans' harsh treatment

The New York Yankees fans made sure to let Juan Soto know that he was not going to receive a warm welcome for helping them reach the World Series for the first time since 2009. They booed him all three games of the Subway Series for not signing with them in free agency and instead playing for cross-town rivals, the New York Mets.

However, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo doesn't accept such resentment of the Yankees fans, claiming Soto was not theirs to boo.

On Monday, during his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Russo dismissed the notion that Juan Soto is a "Yankee traitor."

"I think this 'Soto is a Yankee traitor' thing is a bunch of freaking unbelievable nonsense," Russo said. "He was there for one year. Every Yankee fan in America who knows anything about Soto knew that re-signing him was not going to be easy. They also knew that Cohen had more money than anybody, and if he went to the Mets, he went to the Mets.

"This is not Aaron Judge, Joe DiMaggio, or Mickey Mantle, who left after 15 years to go somewhere else. This is Soto, who would play on the moon if it was $5 more. That's just the way it is. He's a mercenary, and I don't begrudge him that ... So the idea that the Yankee fan now feels betrayed—that is a bunch of garbage."

Russo also claimed that Juan Soto's return and the loud boos were "overblown" in media. He said that he saw the games and found that there were a good number of Mets fans at Yankee Stadium. He downplayed the situation, saying when Barry Bonds arrived in the Bronx as a Giant, he was booed "much worse."

How did Juan Soto perform in the Subway Series vs his former team, the Yankees?

In the first game, which the Mets lost 6-2, Juan Soto managed three walks while going 1-for-2 at the plate against the Yankees. In the second game, Soto went 1-for-4 at the plate, scoring one run and also one walk. The Mets won that game 3-2.

However, in the series finale, the Yankees crushed the Mets 8-2, and Soto was rendered hitless in four plate appearances.

As such, Juan Soto's return to Yankee Stadium wasn't a pleasant one. It was his first game there after Game 5 of the World Series, which the Yankees lost.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Ruth John S