The costliest free-agent derby within the historical past of Major League Baseball ended on Sunday night with Juan Soto, the prodigiously gifted and charmingly theatrical slugger, agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets, an individual briefed on the scenario advised The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. The deal, first reported by the New York Post, features a $75 million signing bonus. The determination ended a two-month parade of visits, counter-offers and finally a staredown between the 2 groups within the Big Apple.
According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon, a league source said that the deal consists of no deferred cash with an opt-out after the fifth season. The Mets can void that choice by growing Soto’s common wage to $55 million for the subsequent 10 years.
At the daybreak of winter, Soto’s agent Scott Boras described his shopper as “the Mona Lisa of the museum.” Mets proprietor Steve Cohen, an avid artwork collector, has now added the outfielder to a group that got here inside two victories of capturing the National League pennant.
The deal, which was pending a bodily and confirmed by folks conversant in the scenario, set a brand new paradigm for the game. Soto, 26, surpassed Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million windfall from final offseason. His $51 million common annual wage set one other new file.
Soto entered this offseason because the No. 1 participant on The Athletic’s Big Board and was projected to obtain a 13-year, $611 million deal. That was earlier than a feverish spherical of negotiations that additionally included spirited efforts from the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. In the tip, the talks pitted the 2 New York groups. Soto spurned a 16-year, $760 million provide from the Yankees to take his skills to Queens.
To put Soto’s bonanza in perspective, contemplate that the Fenway Sports Group bought the Boston Red Sox for $700 million in 2002. Soto will obtain greater than twice the payday fetched by former teammate Aaron Judge, who inked a 10-year, $360 million contract after the 2022 season. Soto will earn almost $4 million extra in 2025 than all the Athletics’ Opening Day payroll in 2022.
After being traded twice already in his profession, he can now polish his Hall of Fame résumé over the subsequent decade in Flushing. In his seven seasons within the majors, Soto has drawn comparisons to Ted Williams whereas accumulating a powerful array of {hardware}. He is a four-time All-Star and a five-time Silver Slugger. At 20, he helped the Washington Nationals win the World Series. A yr later, he received the batting title. In his lone season as a member of the Yankees, Soto hit 41 homers with 109 RBI and a .989 OPS. He swatted the house run that delivered the Yankees to the franchise’s first World Series since 2009.
At the plate, Soto prides himself on persistence. Since his debut in 2018, he leads all hitters in on-base share (.421). He completed first in walks in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He infuses his plate appearances with drama. Soto doesn’t simply take pitches. He sneers at them, sliding via the batter’s field, staring on the pitcher as his face registers disdain or amusement, relying on the standard of the pitch. The gesture has change into often known as the Soto Shuffle, a little bit of exhibitionism that always precedes onerous contact.
His persistence benefited him as he plotted his free company. For Soto, the contract represents the end result of a wager he made – with the steerage of Boras – on himself two years in the past. In the summer season of 2022, the Nationals provided Soto a 15-year, $440 million extension. The deal would have topped Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million extension with the Los Angeles Angels in complete {dollars}, however not common annual worth. The franchise had run aground after successful a championship in 2019. Soto didn’t wish to commit the remainder of his profession to a last-place membership.
After Soto rejected the deal, the Nationals traded him. He spent the summer season of 2022 and all of 2023 as a member of the San Diego Padres. Looking to trim payroll for 2024, the Padres dealt Soto to the Yankees. He proved to be a super complement to Judge, who collected his second American League MVP in November; Soto completed third within the voting.
Soto’s determination ought to trigger devastation within the Bronx and elation in Queens. The Yankees are anticipated to be aggressive in making an attempt to switch him within the mixture, within the type of upgrades to their nook infield and outfield positions. Yet the sting of Soto’s departure might take a very long time to fade.
For the Mets, Soto represents the newest splurge from Cohen, who bought the franchise from the Wilpon household after the 2020 season. Cohen, a hedge-fund titan, has financed the costliest roster within the sport in every of the previous three seasons. The Mets crashed out early within the 2022 postseason and didn’t play October baseball in 2023. This previous summer season, although, a bunch led by Francisco Lindor caught hearth on a joyous run that demonstrated the potential of the group’s core.
That core now consists of Juan Soto. And all it took was the largest contract in baseball historical past.
(Photo of Soto: Harry How / Getty Images)
