Yankees manager Aaron Boone playfully rips Juan Soto: "He looks terrible in Mets colors"

Today, the New York Yankees will take on the New York Mets for the first time in Spring Training. It's the first time Juan Soto will face off with his former team since leaving on a $765 million contract.

Soto was traded to the Yankees last offseason and took them to the World Series, but he spurned them for the crosstown rivals in free agency after they made him the highest-paid athlete ever.

Now, his former manager Aaron Boone and company have gotten the chance to talk with Soto for the first time since he left, and Boone didn't miss a chance to sneak in a playful jab at his former player.

Boone joked:

"I told him he looks terrible in that uniform."

After his joke, Boone had nothing but nice things to say about his former pupil:

"Good to see him, I mean obviously Juan was great for us, but just as important, he was a great guy in our locker room, great guy in our clubhouse. So honestly it was actually really good to see him and just catch up with him, but yeah, I thought he looked terrible in Mets colors."

Boone managed Soto, who formed a powerful duo with Aaron Judge in the heart of the Yankees lineup, to the World Series. It was a Soto home run in extra innings in Game 5 of the ALCS that sent the Yankees to the World Series.

However, in that series, the Yankees were dismantled by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Still, Soto hit .327 with a 1.101 OPS in 14 postseason games with the Yankees last year.

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Juan Soto opens up on leaving Yankees for Mets

The Yankees offered Juan Soto a contract for $5 million less but one year more than the one he signed with the Mets. It wasn't quite enough, and Soto does not blame them for it.

Juan Soto left the Yankees (Imagn)

He said in an exclusive with TODAY:

“They tried as hard as they can, but things happen. You got to go through a lot of things. It’s a whole group family decision that we made, and I think that was the best one.”

As for a rumored rift between Aaron Judge and Soto, the slugger put those stories to rest with high praise:

“I loved to watch Judge last year. He was incredible, and the way he handled himself and everything. That’s my favorite hitter so far."

Now, after an incredible year together, Soto and Judge will be in opposite locker rooms in 2025.