At long last, Juan Soto has made his free agency decision. Soto signed a 15-year $765 million contract with the New York Mets. It is the largest contract in the history of professional sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year $700 million contract last offseason. That was the largest pro sports contract in history before Soto’s deal.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the deal includes no deferred money and can reach $800 million if certain incentives are met. Soto, one of the best players in Major League Baseball, is coming off a great season that saw him help take the New York Yankees to the 2024 World Series. They would lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
Soto was fourth in the league in home runs during the regular season, sixth in RBI, and third in OPS. His great regular season resulted in his fifth career Silver Slugger Award and a third-place finish in American League MVP voting. He finished behind his former teammate Aaron Judge and Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. for the prestigious award. Will Soto be able to live up to his historic contract by delivering great results for the New York Mets on the diamond?
What Juan Soto Brings To the New York Mets
BREAKING: Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest deal in professional sports history.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 9, 2024
New York Mets Owner Steve Cohen and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns made it clear they would spare no expense this offseason when trying to build their roster. New York is coming off a season where they made the NLCS for the first time since 2015 and were one of the best teams over the final four months of the regular season.
Soto comes over from the cross-town New York Yankees and joins a lineup that includes star Shortstop Francisco Lindor, Catcher Francisco Alvarez, and Third Baseman Mark Vientos. With the New York Mets reeling in the big fish that is Soto, they can now turn their attention to re-signing First Baseman Pete Alonso. Multiple media reports said that signing Soto would make it more likely for Alonso to return to Queens.
Final Thoughts
Soto will enter the 2025 regular season, and the subsequent seasons, with immense pressure. Being the highest-paid player in sports history comes with immeasurable expectations. He made the baseball world wait forever as he weighed his options and tried to get as many teams involved in the bidding as possible. The New York Mets felt comfortable signing Soto to such a long and lucrative contract because at 26 years old he is just entering his athletic prime.
