“It’s a lot of money on the table if I make it,” New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto told reporters this month, one of several comments the slugger has made since he left the New York Yankees to sign a megadeal with the New York Mets that rankled those who believe highly paid players should not show how much they care about being highly paid.

The major drawback in the deal is that Soto is a rental.