The new kid in town, Juan Soto, has worn No. 22 since his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals in 2018, and despite signing a historic $765 million deal with the New York Mets, there was one small hurdle—Brett Baty already had the number.
Rather than force the issue, Soto and Baty had a conversation in January, and the 25-year-old third baseman agreed to give up the jersey number he had worn since his MLB debut in 2022. But Soto made sure Baty was well compensated for the gesture.
On Thursday, outside the Mets’ spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Soto surprised Baty with a brand-new Chevrolet Tahoe, a vehicle valued at $92,000.
Baty admitted that he had been driving the same 2016 Toyota 4Runner since high school, a car with roughly 150,000 miles on it. His teammate Mark Vientos had often teased him about upgrading, and Mets traveling secretary Edgar Suero had subtly asked about his car insurance information earlier in the week, tipping Baty off that something might be in the works.