The biggest domino of the MLB offseason has fallen. On the eve of the Baseball Winter Meetings, ESPN’s Jeff Passan has reported that superstar outfielder Juan Soto is signing a 15-year, $765 million deal with 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
Soto’s new contract, which is the largest deal in professional sports history, includes no deferred money and has escalators that can bring the total to $800 million. He has one opportunity to opt out at the five-year mark (after the 2029 season).
Soto, a free agent for the first time in his career, has dominated baseball headlines ever since the final out of the 2024 World Series. The 26-year-old outfielder was this winter’s top free agent, and he’s one of the most sought-after free agents in MLB history.
Over the last month or so, it became increasingly clear that Soto intended to accept an offer prior to the Winter Meetings. He took his decision down to the wire, but in the end, Soto has settled on signing with the Mets as media and executives gather for the offseason’s biggest event in Dallas, Texas.
Soto, who said he was open to offers from all 30 teams, seemed to have five true suitors as negotiations reached their peak: Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Dodgers. Of those five, the Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox appeared to have the most serious offers on the table, all north of $700 million in total.
New York reportedly offered Soto a 16-year, $760 million deal ($47.5 million AAV). Meanwhile, Boston’s top bid checked in at $700 million over 15 years ($46.7 million AAV).
The left-handed slugger spent 2024 with the Yankees after a blockbuster trade last offseason. During his lone campaign in the Bronx, he slashed .288/.419/.569 with 41 homers, 109 RBI, an 18.1 percent walk rate, and a 16.7 percent strikeout rate. Soto was an All-Star and Silver Slugger, and he also finished third in American League MVP voting. He formed a lethal one-two punch alongside Aaron Judge in the heart of the Yankees’ lineup, helping lead New York to a World Series berth.
While the allure of finishing what he started in the Bronx may have been intriguing, Soto will instead take his talents to Queens. He’ll play every day in right field with the Mets, sharing the outfield with Brandon Nimmo and Tyrone Taylor.
Signing Soto is the highlight of the Mets’ offseason, but it won’t be the last move they make. Owner Steve Cohen has repeatedly shown a willingness to spend money, and that could spark more key additions for New York this winter. (They’ve already signed starting pitcher Frankie Montas.)
With Juan Soto off the board, all eyes will turn to the remaining top free agents, including starting pitcher Max Fried and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. Meanwhile, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet, widely expected to be traded during the Winter Meetings, remains available.
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