Former Mets Coach Says Juan Soto Was 'Coddled' by Assistant GM, Talks Impact on Team

Former New York Mets hitting coach and bench coach Eric Chavez revealed some eye-opening details about the way the team treats star slugger Juan Soto.

Chavez, who worked for the Mets from 2022-25, said on his EC3 podcast that Soto has been pampered by the team since his arrival last year.

"This is a lack of leadership, a lack of accountability, from the top down," Chavez said, per Collin Ward of the New York Post. "And we had an assistant GM who would sit there with [Soto] — the assistant GM would sit there with him — and kind of coddle him, tap him on the shoulder, without saying, 'Hey dude, how about getting in the dugout with your teammates.'"

Chavez didn't name the assistant GM he was referring to, but he went on to say that he raised the issue with president of baseball operations David Stearns, warning that Soto's actions could be "a negative influence" on the younger members of the team. However, Stearns didn't do anything to change Soto's behavior.

"Those players need to learn that they're not Juan Soto," Stearns told Chavez.

After spending the 2024 campaign with the New York Yankees, Soto moved crosstown and signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, the largest contract in professional sports history. He had a solid first year with the team in 2025, hitting .263 with 43 home runs and 105 RBI, but it wasn't enough to earn a playoff spot.

This season, Soto has played 65 games for the 35-49 Mets while dealing with injuries earlier in the year. When healthy, he's been one of the lone bright spots on the team, hitting .300 with 17 home runs and 39 RBI. Still, he hasn't brought the team the success it expected when it signed him to his astronomical contract.

The revelations from Chavez indicate there could be a deeper rift between Soto and the Mets, so Stearns and company will have to make sure the situation doesn't get further out of hand.

The Mets will open a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays (39-45) on Monday night.