Baseball insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post had a dramatic radio appearance that ended with him abruptly ending a phone call while he was live on air.
Heyman spoke with WFAN’s Keith McPherson on Friday evening and discussed the possible moves for free agent slugger Juan Soto.
Soto is wanted by his former team, the New York Yankees, but is also on the radar of the New York Mets, among others.
McPherson waded into the Soto discussion, but joked about Heyman’s relationship with baseball super agent Scott Boras, who represents Soto.
“I saw your tweet that Juan Soto might come up. And that’s the most important thing,” McPherson began. “And when I look at your tweets and your history, I always say, ‘Okay. This guy is part of Boras Corp.” What is the percentage of the Juan Soto contract you get when you tell the news where he signs?”
That comment prompted a brief pause from Heyman before he chuckled and said, “No. Unfortunately I don’t get any money for anything. I have no financial interest.’
New York Post insider Jon Heyman (L) hung up the phone with WFAN radio host Keith McPherson on Friday
McPherson then joked again, asking, “Not even .01?” to which Heyman curtly replied: ‘No, no bet. I don’t know where you get that from.’
After further discussing the news, and how it likely wouldn’t break on Friday night, Heyman said, “There’s a lot of competition for these stories.” You never know who might get them.
‘Certainly, there are writers who are represented by agents. I’m not. They can have advantages. There are all kinds of things going on here. We all do our best. I get some stories, but some others don’t.’
McPherson then decided to bring up Heyman’s infamous 2022 “Arson Judge” tweet, in which the baseball insider misspelled New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge’s name and incorrectly said he was signing with the San Francisco Giants.
“I love that there was a typo because it made me feel like it wasn’t real in itself,” McPherson said. “And I know we’re clearly way past that. But I also said it would be great if you broke the Juan Soto news because that puts that in the rearview mirror for now.”
At this point the interview started to get more exciting. Heyman referred to the “Arson” tweet, saying, “I think the reason it’s gotten so much attention is because people believe everything I tweet. “I’ve had 100,000 tweets and you get one that was wrong – and it said ‘seems’ – and I know I rushed it and it was a big mistake.”
Heyman added, “At some point I think someone could probably drop it if they’re a nice person.”
McPherson continued, “What I think is how I pictured you. Everyone in baseball knows who you are. So first off, it’s a credit to your work, your followers, and how…
The two were discussing news about Juan Soto when McPherson joked about Heyman’s relationship with Soto’s agent, Scott Boras. Heyman took it as an attack on his integrity.
Heyman then intervened and said, “By the way, I’m not hanging out with you anymore. The whole thing has been a disaster.’
“That’s okay,” a laughing McPherson replied before an increasingly frustrated Heyman continued, “I can’t believe you said that. To question my integrity.”
McPherson asked, “Are you serious?”
“I mean it,” Heyman confirmed. ‘Yes. I ask if I can get a discount because I have a relationship with an agent. It’s outrageous. I know you’re not a journalist. You don’t know anything about this. I know you don’t. But that’s an outrageous comment. That much you should know.’
“It’s Friday night at half past seven, Jon. And I don’t take this very seriously,” McPherson said.
“You should know that much. I’m done with you and I’m done with WFAN. I can’t even believe it. I can’t even believe it,” Heyman raged before hanging up, his last words delivered in a particularly angry manner.
Alone in the air, McPherson tried to control the damage. “Thanks, Jon. Appreciate your time. He has to go to bed. I didn’t expect it to go this way. I think if you hear my tone and the way I joke and make a joke and have a lighter conversation.
“Something I was talking about the other day too, with all this Juan Soto drama, is we need some comic relief, man. I introduced you and gave credit to how everyone follows your words and your tweets and what you do. And if you felt a certain way about it and even said, “You regret it.” I said, ‘No regrets.’
Heyman has been a baseball journalist for decades and has been with the Post since 2022
He eventually apologized: “It’s a testament to, OK, I think that was a sore spot. But it’s been two years. I will apologize now. I’m not above that. My apologies to Jon Heyman if that rubbed him the wrong way, because it clearly did. The phone call has just ended. But maybe the Juan Soto news is coming.”
Heyman has been a professional journalist since 1983. After starting his career in Illinois, he spent 16 years as the New York Yankees beat writer at Newsday.
He has also had roles at The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, MLB Network and CBS Sports.
Heyman joined the Post in 2022.