Aaron Judge seemed to make his stance on Juan Soto’s departure from the Yankees clear in his end-of-year Instagram post.
To mark the end of 2024, Judge shared a series of photos on social media, including multiple moments with his Yankees teammates. The post, captioned with “2024” followed by an arrow emoji and “2025,” highlighted various snapshots from the year.
However, there was a notable absence—Soto, who had teamed up with Judge to help lead the Yankees to the World Series, was missing from the photos shared by the captain.
This omission came shortly after Soto made a high-profile move from the Yankees to the New York Mets, signing a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract during the offseason. Despite this, Judge’s post did feature several other teammates, such as Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton, and Alex Verdugo.
The 6-foot-7 slugger also included a photo with his wife, Samantha, and their two dogs, Penny and Gus, following the announcement that they are expecting their first child together.
Fans quickly noticed Soto’s exclusion, with many speculating it was a deliberate snub by Judge. Some Yankees fans even praised their captain for leaving Soto out of the post.
One fan commented, “I love you for not posting Soto,” while another said, “No Soto in the post is a W. Stanton and Judge only.” A third user added, “Thank god you didn’t post that [snake] Soto,” and another joked, “Haha word don’t mention the snake. Happy new year, cap!”
The omission sparked more reactions, with some sarcastic Yankees fans claiming they’d never heard of Soto, further fueling the sentiment of wanting to erase any trace of him from the Bronx.
Aaron Judge
On the other hand, fans also noticed Judge included Verdugo in the post, despite expectations that the left fielder might also part ways with the Yankees this offseason. Some saw this as a significant move, with one fan commenting, “Bro included Verdugo over Soto LMFAO,” while another said, “Judge loved Verdugo more than Soto.”
Soto’s free agency created a frenzy, with the Dodgers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Mets all in the running for his signature. Despite the Yankees reportedly offering a $760 million deal, Soto ultimately chose the Mets.
Judge, however, was believed to have taken a passive role in the recruitment process. In November, Judge stated, “I think the best thing is to give those guys space,” referring to Soto. “I talked to him all season. He knows how we feel about him. The most important thing is to let him do his thing… and come to the right decision for him and his family.”
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