LOS ANGELES -- The Juan Soto the New York Mets expected when they gave him the richest contract in sports history finally appeared in his purest form Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium by stealing the show without even putting the ball in play.

Sometimes, as the saying goes, the best deals are the ones you don’t make. It’s a small sample size and very early in the process, but so far, the New York Yankees are fortunate to have not signed Juan Soto.

Soto ultimately chose to take his talents to Queens, a decision that not only changed the landscape of Major League Baseball but seemed to shift the long-standing cultural dynamic