Soto surprises Baty with a new car in exchange for his uni number

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Before deciding what to gift Brett Baty in exchange for uniform No. 22, Juan Soto consulted his “sources.” Soto grinned while retelling the story, unwilling to reveal the identity of his moles -- “We have some guys,” was all he would say. Through those back channels, Soto learned that Baty has always wanted a spacious, black-on-black SUV.

As Soto schemed, Baty was none the wiser. It wasn’t until traveling secretary Edgar Suero asked Baty to join him in the players’ parking lot Thursday morning that he discovered a brand-new Chevrolet Tahoe waiting there for him. The SUV had a large red bow fastened to the hood and a message scrawled on the back windshield: “THANKS FOR NO. 22.”

“It’s amazing,” Baty said. “Just for him to be able to think to do something like that, I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m just really excited that he’s on our team.”

Shortly after Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract, Mets special assistant Eduardo Brizuela called Baty to see if he would be willing to give up No. 22, which the third baseman had worn throughout the first three years of his career. Baty didn’t hesitate -- “It’s just a number,” he said. While that could have been the end of the exchange, Soto took things a step further, acquiring Baty’s phone number and texting him to let him know a gift would be coming.

For Baty, a new car made plenty of sense. Over the past few years, friend and teammate Mark Vientos has been lampooning Baty for continuing to drive the same 2016 Toyota 4Runner he did in high school.

“I come into Spring Training every single year,” Baty said, “and I’m like, ‘I’m going to get a new car. I’m going to get a new car.’”

Now, he has one. When Suero approached Baty on Wednesday asking for his insurance information, he figured something was up. But it wasn’t until he stepped outside the next morning that he realized he was getting a Tahoe. Soto said he paid $92,000 for the vehicle -- a hefty price, though just one-tenth of a percent of his 2025 salary.

“For me, it’s not about the car,” Soto said. “It’s just something that’s going to make him happy. And whenever he sees it, he tells himself that it’s worth giving the number 22. For me, that’s what it’s all about -- to make him feel good, to make him feel comfortable, and really be thankful for what he’s done. Some guys don’t like to give away their numbers. But he actually had no excuses or anything. He just gave it away for me. I’m thankful for that, and I made sure he got something that he’s going to appreciate it.”

Throughout the first week of full-squad workouts, Mets hitters including Baty have gushed about having Soto around. They believe there’s much to learn from a player who, at age 26, already has five Silver Sluggers and five Top 10 MVP finishes to his credit.

Soto, meanwhile, has been doing what he can to assimilate to his fourth team in four years.

“I just like how he’s fitting in with the guys,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You can see the smile on his face. It feels like he’s getting comfortable as we progress in camp. Talking to him after Day 1, it’s not easy making that transition again. But I like the fact that he’s having fun.”

As for his own number, Baty switched to No. 7 in homage to José Reyes and Joe Mauer, two players he enjoyed watching as a kid. He also isn’t getting rid of his high school car just yet, acknowledging that the 4Runner has “a lot of miles on it,” but “I love her.”

Still, when asked which vehicle he planned to drive out of the players’ lot on Thursday, Baty didn’t hesitate.

“Definitely the new one,” he said with a grin.