Johnny Damon Says Yankees Might Have 'Dodged A Bullet' In Juan Soto Deal, Here's Why

The Yankees will head into next season without Juan Soto, but fear not, New York fans ... Johnny Damon tells TMZ Sports they might just be better without the star slugger!!

We caught up with the 51-year-old former Pinstripes outfielder on Thursday -- just hours after the Mets introduced Soto to their fanbase -- and he said straight up, his former team might come out of this situation just fine.

His reasoning? Damon says the Yankees can now take the $750 million they had earmarked for Soto -- and spend it on a bunch of key pieces that'll make them perhaps even more formidable in 2025.

"The Yankees could have dodged a bullet on this one," the two-time World Series champ said. "This could be huge."

The Yanks, of course, have already spent big following Soto's Mets signing ... inking former Braves pitcher Max Fried to a $218 million deal.

And, Damon says he fully expects the team to keep writing out checks ... maybe even to coveted Mets free agent Pete Alonso.

"I think at the end of the day," Damon said, "you're going to have a better team."

Don't worry, Mets backers ... Damon says he's still expecting big things from him in Queens -- although he is warning NY fans that his numbers might drop due to his new league and ballpark.