ESPN: Juan Soto was obviously not impressed by Aaron Judge’s Yankees marketing strategy.

Although Aaron Judge outlines his presentation to prospective free agents, it is obviously not infallible.

Since losing Juan Soto—which is easier said than done—the New York Yankees haven’t really lost a beat. Brian Cashman carried out a daring backup plan by making the appropriate short-term wagers in free agency and pulled off large transactions. The Yankees appear to be the favorites to win the American League as Aaron Judge is once again on the MVP track.

Just take a look at how Soto was handled when he returned to Yankee Stadium to see how painful his departure was. After placing second in the World Series, Soto not only left a historic deal open, but he also left for the New York Mets, of all clubs. The wealthiest man in baseball, Steve Cohen has dedicated his life to bringing a champion to Queens. The Yankees’ little brother franchise seems to have grown up.

A major plot point at the time was how hard Judge tried—or failed—to recruit Soto last winter. The Yankees star recently shared his pitch to potential free agents, and although it seems fantastic on paper, it is obvious that Soto did not accept it, presuming it was even presented to him.

The Yankees’ free agency offer from Aaron Judge was insufficient to keep Juan Soto.

Judge said to USA Today, “I try to talk to everyone, the guys who aren’t Yankees, and tell them just how special this franchise is.” How unique it is to perform in front of these supporters.

The pitch is timeless. Because of the Yankees’ unparalleled organizational prominence and distinctive status in the sports world, free agents have been pursuing them for decades. The Yankees are more than just the club from New York. The Bronx has so much baseball history. The fact that ownership has a sizable budget and that Judge, a consistent MVP contender, is around to inspire the upcoming Yankees is beneficial.

But that wasn’t enough, so following a World Series trip, Soto took a very little discount to re-sign with the Yankees. Though we know the Yankees weren’t far behind, the Mets’ top offer of $765 million was, well, the best offer. Soto could have re-signed in the Bronx and still became the highest-paid player in American sports history if he had been drawn to the pull of history and the opportunity to bat in front of Judge for the next ten or more years.

However, Soto want the cash as well as maybe some additional autonomy and special treatment. We’ve all read the stories about how the Yankees ignored his friends and family and how Soto was never really happy there. It seems like there was a rift with the Yankees, even though Soto has denied or at least pushed back on the most of things. Enough for him to abandon an ideal circumstance in order to forge a new path with a far less well-known Queens powerhouse.

Was it sufficient for Judge to explicitly recruit Soto? He famously declared that he was allowing the 26-year-old to decide for himself. The Yankees are without a generational talent because Judge’s pitch, whatever it may or may not have been, was insufficient. This issue may never be entirely resolved since we will never know the precise inner thoughts of Judge and Soto. We live in a reality like that.