BREAKING: Juan Soto’s camp confirms heart-breaking major reason why superstar never talked to former New York Yankees teammates after season

Juan Soto’s camp is working to address the stir caused by remarks the star outfielder made during his introductory press conference with the New York Mets on Thursday.

Soto shared that he hadn’t spoken with any of his former Yankees teammates during the offseason before signing his historic $765 million contract. “I haven’t talked to any of those guys,” Soto said, as reported by The New York Post’s Justin Tasch. “We talked to them through the playoffs, end of the playoffs, but after that [in this] process, I haven’t talked to any of those guys.”

The comments sparked speculation about potential issues between Soto and his Yankees teammates during his lone season in New York. Adding to the intrigue, reigning AL MVP and former teammate Aaron Judge had previously stated that he intentionally avoided contacting Soto during free agency.

“I haven’t talked to him at all. I think the best thing is to really give those guys space,” Judge said in an interview with ESPN’s Jorge Castillo last month. “I talked to him all season. He knows how we feel about him. The most important thing is to let him focus on his family, pray about it, and come to the right decision.”

In the press conference, Soto emphasized that any perceived distance was simply a result of the business side of baseball. He expressed no hard feelings and indicated plans to reconnect with Judge in the future.

“Yeah, why not? Definitely, at the end of the day, we’re still friends. We’re still cool,” Soto said. “Everything that happens is just business, but the relationship we created last year is gonna stay there forever.”

Juan Soto’s camp clarifies why four-time All-Star hasn’t talked to former New York Yankees teammates

According to USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale, Juan Soto’s lack of communication with his former Yankees teammates has a straightforward explanation: he changed his phone number.

“The reason there was no communication between Juan Soto and his former Yankee teammates simply is that Soto changed his cell phone number,” Nightengale reported on X. “He was bombarded by outside calls during his free agency and wanted privacy. Soto now is reaching out to former Yankee teammates.”

In his lone season with the Yankees, Soto was instrumental in leading the team to their first World Series appearance since 2009. He delivered a stellar campaign, finishing third in AL MVP voting with 41 home runs, an AL-leading 128 runs scored, a .989 OPS, and a 7.9 WAR.

Soto will return to Yankee Stadium as a member of the Mets on Friday, May 16, a much-anticipated moment for fans and former teammates alike.