NBA Top Update: I Am Leaving Yankees Said Juan Soto For One Reason

Juan Soto, a 2019 World Series champion with the Washington Nationals, betrayed the Washington Capitals on Sunday.

According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, Soto, after helping the New York Yankees defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4, donned an Artemi Panarin New York Rangers jersey as he exited the clubhouse. There were no photos taken as reporters are prohibited from taking pics in the Yankees’ clubhouse.

The 25-year-old Dominican slugger was a big part of the Nationals’ team that captured the district’s first title since 1924 and proved to be just as talented a celebrator.

The Capitals famously celebrated the franchise’s first Stanley Cup victory at a Nationals game just days after bringing the Cup home from Las Vegas. Washington’s baseball team returned the favor a year later.

The raucous night at the rink featured a multi-team photo on the ice, a shirtless Zamboni ride, and singalongs in the locker room.

The Nationals also made their way onto the ice to try their hand at hockey after the game. There, Soto posed for a classic photo with then Capitals Jakub Vrana and Braden Holtby.

The power-hitting Soto donned a white, Capitals road jersey next to the two 2018 Stanley Cup champs. He’d later attend a Capitals playoff game against the Florida Panthers in 2022.

Soto was originally signed by the Nationals as an international free agent in 2015 and made his quick way to the big leagues three years later as a teenager. In just his second season, Soto hit three home runs in the victorious World Series against the Astros.

After a veteran Nationals team immediately started falling out of contention for another title, Soto reportedly rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension offer by the Nationals during the 2022 season. The rejection led to Washington dealing Soto to San Diego a few months later so that they could retain substantial value for the young superstar before he fit free agency.

Soto ended up on the Yankees this season after being traded by the Padres last December for similar reasons. Unfortunately, Soto’s hockey fandom was apparently dealt along with him.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone, right, argues with umpire Hunter Wendelstedt during the first inning of a game against the Athletics at Yankee Stadium on Monday.
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NEW YORK — Aaron Boone didn’t tie the record for fastest ejection. The New York Yankees manager did think it was among the most unjust dismissals.

Boone was thrown out of Monday’s 2-0 loss to Oakland five pitches in by Hunter Wendelstedt over a remark the Yankees maintained was yelled by a fan behind the dugout, while the plate umpire said it was something shouted from the far end of New York’s bench.

”It’s embarrassing,” Boone said. ”I couldn’t believe it.”

Esteury Ruiz was hit on the back foot by Carlos Rodón’s slider leading off the game.

Standing on the dugout steps, Boone raised his hands, questioning whether Ruiz swung at the pitch. First base umpire John Tumpane determined Ruiz did not swing and should go to first base.

After a called strike to Tyler Nevin, Wendelstedt removed his mask, took a few steps toward the Yankees’ dugout and could be heard by a YES Network microphone yelling at Boone: ”Hey, guess what? You’re not yelling at me. I did what I’m supposed to do and checked! I’m looking for him to get hit by the pitch! You got anything else to say, you’re gone! OK?”

Wendelstedt pointed at Boone as he finished. Boone, leaning on the dugout rail with his left arm, held up his left hand as if to signal OK, then gave the umpire a thumbs-up.

As the umpire put his mask back on and walked behind catcher Shea Langeliers, a fan behind the dugout in a blue shirt appeared to yell at Wendelstedt. The umpire pulled off his mask and demonstratively waved his right arm in an arc, thumb extended, screaming: ”Aaron, you’re done! I don’t care who said it. You’re gone!”

Boone ran onto the field and pointed to the fan.

”It was above our dugout!” Boone exclaimed. ”I didn’t say anything! I did not say anything!”

Wendelstedt responded: ”I don’t care who said it, you’re gone!”

Boone went on to declare several times, “I did not say a word,” along with several profanities. Crew chief Marvin Hudson joined them in an attempt to calm Boone.

”You warned me, and I shut up,” Boone told Wendelstedt.

”You’re probably right, Aaron,” the umpire replied.

”I’m not probably right, I’m f—in right,” Boone responded.

After the game, Wendelstedt said that as manager of the Yankees, Boone is ”responsible for everything that happens in that dugout.”

”In my opinion, the cheap shot came towards the far end, so instead of me being aggressive and walking down to the far end and trying to figure out who might have said it or who — I don’t want to eject a ballplayer; we need to keep them in the game. That’s what the fans pay to see. Aaron Boone runs the Yankees, he got ejected.”

New York first baseman Anthony Rizzo looked at the ejection this way: ”I feel like his ears are wide open, so anything coming from that direction, you’re on a very short fuse.”

It wasn’t the earliest ejection.

Baltimore manager Earl Weaver was ejected by Ron Luciano while exchanging lineup cards before the second game of a doubleheader against Texas on Aug. 15, 1975, still upset over a call that led to his getting tossed in the fourth inning of the opener.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher John Lackey was ejected by plate umpire Bob Davidson on May 15, 2009, after his first pitch of the season sailed behind Ian Kinsler and the next hit the Rangers’ leadoff hitter in the ribs.

Toronto hitting coach Guillermo Martínez was tossed by first base umpire Lance Barrett after exchanging the lineup card before a game against the Chicago White Sox on June 22, 2022, a carryover from action the previous night.

Boone was ejected for the second time this season and for the 35th time in seven seasons as Yankees manager. He intended to speak with Major League Baseball about the situation.

”I’m obviously a little more vocal and fiery than some, so I’m sure it gets some people perked up,” Boone said. ”But overall, I feel like I’m treated fairly.”

Bench coach Brad Ausmus took over as acting manager. He was Oakland’s bench coach in 2022.

”I think Ausmus just wanted to manage against his former team,” Rizzo joked.

Wendelstedt, 52, made his big league debut in 1998 and his father, Harry, was a National League umpire from 1966-98. Hunter, who has been around long enough to have ejected Boone as a player in 2001, maintained he doesn’t hold grudges.

”If you look up my ejections, you’ll see Bobby Cox multiple times, Ron Gardenhire and I a lot,” he said. ”People don’t realize that Ron Gardenhire is just a stubborn German like me and after we might have a situation, we like to have a cold beer and talk about it.”