Juan Soto's right field mistake sparks backlash from fans: "$800 million dollar DH"

The New York Mets made the biggest headlines of this offseason upon completing the 15-year, $765 million deal to acquire Juan Soto, handimg him the largest contract ever in the history of sports. Therefore, the new Mets outfielder is always likely to become a target for criticism whenever he comes up short on the field.

That is precisely what happened when Juan Soto missed a fly ball while playing right field for the New York Mets in their spring training game against the Houston Astros on Thursday evening. Rival fans took shots at Soto on social media for his defensive skills, calling a highly expensive designated hitter.

On Thursday, the New York Mets hosted the Houston Astros for their Grapefruit League game at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The home team was trailing 4-1 in the top of the fifth inning with the visitors having a runner at first with two outs when the left-hander at the plate hit a fly ball towards Juan Soto in right field.

Soto seemingly misjudged the flight of the ball coming off the bat and had to backtrack towards the fence to try and make a difficult over-the-shoulder grab. Soto did manage to get a glove on it but could not hold on to it, and his error allowed the runner to score from first base.

The fans roasted Juan Soto with their comments on X.

"$800 million dollar DH," wrote one fan.

"He’ll be DH full time soon," said another fan.

"Soto is going to end up being a very expensive DH," another fan said.

The jibes at Soto and the Mets continued to pour in on X.

"Great hitter but defensive liability," posted one fan.

"I see he working hard on that Gold Glove," joked another fan.

"A wonderful but highly paid DH in a year or so," another fan wrote.

Despite being ridiculed for his defense, Soto was actually a nominee for a Gold Glove in the American League last season.

Francisco Lindor to have a better season for the Mets than Juan Soto, says MLB insider

Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor are the two best hitters in the Mets lineup (Image Source: IMAGN)

MLB insider Emmanuel Berbari believes New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor will have a more productive campaign offensively than Juan Soto in 2025. He feels the arrival of Soto will take some of the spotlight away from Lindor, which will allow the latter to play more freely with less pressure on his shoulders.

""I think [Lindor] is going to have a lot better season than Soto. There's evidence here, too. Lindor's first season with the Mets, he came in, struggled mightily, his buddy Javi Baez comes in, Lindor gets more comfortable and he relaxes [in the] final couple of months of the season," he said.

"Last year, Jose Iglesias comes in May 31, loosens up the locker room, Lindor was struggling mightily, but there's not the same attention on Lindor as a leader," he added. "Now, Juan Soto is the alpha in the room. Lindor doesn't have to worry about all that stuff."

Francisco Lindor had an outstanding season for the Mets last year despite being sluggish in the opening couple of months. He eventually finished as the runner-up for the NL MVP and was instrumental for the Mets in their postseason run to the Championship Series.