The New York Mets have been one of the most active teams so far this offseason, adding yet another proven veteran ahead of the new campaign. Back on Jan. 17, the club announced that they had come to an agreement with long-time Atlanta Braves relief pitcher A.J. Minter.
The 31-year-old agreed to terms on a two-year, $22 million deal to join New York, with an opt-out after the 2025 season.
The 2021 World Series champion brings a proven track record of success to the New York Mets as they look to make a deep postseason run. While Minter's abilities on the mound will certainly help New York establish itself as a true contender in 2025, his firey personality might give the club an edge over their cross-town rivals.
During the team's fan event this past weekend, A.J. Minter took a shot at the New York Yankees and their fanbase. He said:
"You can tell these Mets fans, these are truly baseball fans. They get baseball, not like the other side of town."
This is something that has not gone over well with supporters of the Bronx Bombers. A number of them took to social media to clap back at the reliever.
"Moron got the Yankees on his mind in his first ever appearance in front of mets fans. Oh man," - One fan posted.
"Begging for attention day one. Enjoy Queens, clown," another fan shared.
"I can't. I have already made funeral arrangements and to have my internet history cleared," - another fan wrote in response to how they will ever recover from Minter's words.
It's safe to say that A.J. Minter understood the assignment at the team's fan fest. After making that statement about Yankees fans, the crowd was brought to cheers, which has already helped the long-time Atlanta Braves pitcher endear himself to his new fans.
"They have so many 'fans' that just wear the hats or can't name a player past Judge. Because they have such a disproportionately large amount of casual fans compared to other teams..." - One fan posted online.
"I like him already" - Another fan shared.
"FAN FAVORITE ALREADY!!!!!" - One more added.
The Mets and Yankees rivalry might be bigger than ever after Juan Soto moved to Queens this offseason
If A.J. Minter's words about the Yankees fans weren't enough, the 2025 Subway Series is going to be must-watch television after Juan Soto made the high-profile move to the Mets.
The superstar outfielder was a key contributor to the New York Yankees World Series run in 2024. However, he decided to sign a record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal to move to their cross-town rivals.
It will be interesting to see how Yankees fans treat both Minter and Soto when they make their season debuts at Yankee Stadium.