Overview
- Jon Heyman reported that Juan Soto is disappointed by Richardson’s departure to division rival Atlanta.
- The Mets were said to have offered to roughly double Richardson’s pay to more than $300,000 on a two-year deal, which he declined.
- Richardson is widely credited with helping Soto steal 38 bases with just four caught stealings despite below-average sprint speed.
- New York’s baserunning improved under Richardson, with the team finishing fifth in MLB steals and fifth in FanGraphs’ baserunning metric.
- Richardson described his bond with Soto as lasting beyond the field, and he is set to face the Mets repeatedly next season, including 13 games reported in coverage.