Mets broadcaster mocks ridiculous reason some fans think Juan Soto is Queens-bound

Watch enough true crime documentaries and you’ll realize which clues are important and which aren’t. A hair found in the bindings of a victim. A lengthy ransom letter. A cell phone ping too close to a shallow grave. All of those clues can help investigators come to conclusions. New York Mets fans are trying to find every hint of where Juan Soto will land. Radio broadcaster Howie Rose isn’t buying it.

On Sunday, multiple social media accounts created posts (they didn’t re-share, why give the original source any credit?) regarding Soto’s Instagram activity. The suggestion was that he just started following Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte, and J.D. Martinez—the latter of which is no longer with the Mets anyway. In addition, Alex Cohen, the wife of owner Steve Cohen, gave him a follow as well.

Rose didn’t think much of it. He jokingly mocked this tinfoil hat laden red herring.

Who Juan Soto does or doesn’t follow on social media has nothing to do with his future

Offers to Soto are expected to come in this week and yet he’s already guaranteed to play for the Mets because of his social media activity? Call me when he starts following a random Mets player like Max Kranick.

Fans ready to read every tea leaf to figure out what’s next for Soto will be disgruntled to have other rational thinkers on the side of Rose. Newsday’s Tim Healey was a lot less sarcastic with his analysis of the situation, offering a reality check for anyone who thinks this footprint is a sign of things to come.

Soto has turned down $400 million deals in the past. He isn’t going to do something so foolish as to show his cards this early. In fact, if you want to play make believe and have this matter at all, one could say this was done just to make teams like the New York Yankees nervous about a jump across town. Deleting all mentions and memories of his days with them would be intentional and meaningful. Following a few peers on social media carries no weight at the moment.

As for Alex Cohen’s decision to follow him, why wouldn’t she? Was it some sort of scheme to get in good favor with him? Maybe she just likes the person and believes with her philanthropic pursuits a connection should be made regardless of what team he plays for.

It’s too early in the offseason for us to start making up reasons for why people do the things they do, especially on social media. Tim Healey is right. Get a grip!