"Biggest f**k you Mets handed to Yankees" - Justin Verlander's brother gives take on Juan Soto picking Queens over Bronx for $765,000,000

The New York Mets made a massive statement of intent after beating the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto sweepstakes by signing the player to a 15-year, $765 million contract on Sunday.

MLB analyst Ben Verlander feels it's the biggest blow that the team from Queens has landed over the Bronx Bombers in the history of the rivalry between the two New York clubs.

On Monday, Justin Verlander's brother offered his reaction to the Juan Soto signing on his Flipping Bats podcast. [1:17 -11:59]

"This is huge for the landscape of baseball, (and) for the Mets," he said. "No more LOL Mets. No more laughing at the Mets. This is the biggest 'f** you' in the history of the Mets to the Yankees. The biggest 'f**k you' that the Mets have ever handed to the New York Yankees is this signing.

"The big dog in New York is not currently the New York Yankees," he added. "The Mets have been taking that from them more and more and more over the last couple of years. And this Juan Soto signing is the biggest one to date. So, the Mets legacy isn't there yet. They need to win a World Series here in this stretch. They need to win a World Series before the Yankees but you can feel that shift happening."

The Yankees had reportedly offered Soto a 16-year, $760 million deal, which was rejected by the player. Meanwhile, the Mets' offer could potentially rise over $800 million if Soto doesn't exercise his opt-out clause after five years.

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"The Mets are beating up on the Yankees": Ben Verlander on the Juan Soto signing

Juan Soto won the American League pennant with the Yankees in 2024 (Image Source: Imagn)

Ben Verlander said that the Yankees are no longer the powerhouse they used to be under present chairman Hal Steinbrenner, who's having to battle against the immense wealth of Mets owner Steve Cohen.

He feels the Mets beating the Yankees in the Juan Soto sweepstakes is a clear example of that.

"The Yankees have not won the World Series; it's been a decade and a half," he said. "How long is that going to be? We don't know. And then Steve Cohen comes along and says, 'I don't care about the money. I'm going to put the best team I can out there. I want to win a World Series with the New York Mets, that's what I'm gonna do.' He even said that he considers this philanthropy.

"(The Yankees) are losing their big free agent to the New York Mets; the Subway Series has started to shift to the Mets. The Mets are beating up on the Yankees. Steve Cohen has more money than Steinbrenner. He's spending more money than Steinbrenner. He doesn't care about the luxury tax," he added. "It was, 'We gotta sign Juan Soto.' Now the work begins to build around him, and he knows that."

Soto's contract with the Mets is the largest-ever in American sports, going past the 10-year, $700 deal of Shohei Ohtani, which was signed last offseason.