Juan Soto is a member of the New York Mets.
Soto, a 26-year-old generational player, and the Mets have agreed to a 15-year, $765 million deal, first reported by Jon Heyman of the NY Post. The deal is the largest in professional sports history according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Joel Sherman of the NY Post added that the deal has no deferrals and includes an opt out after five seasons. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Mets can void Soto’s opt-out after the fifth year and he can receive a $4 million raise per season. His AAV would increase from $51 million per year to $55 million per year after 2029. He’ll have a $75 million signing bonus, too.
Photo Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images
After owning the team for four seasons, Mets owner Steve Cohen has made the biggest signing in the history of the organization, clearing the largest free-agent deal handed out by the Mets by over half a billion dollars. After nabbing David Stearns last offseason to run his front office, he’s now landed his massive free agent.
The Mets competed against the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays. The Los Angeles Dodgers were also reportedly involved.
Soto joins the Mets after putting up historic numbers over the last seven seasons—four and a half with the Nationals, a year and a half with the Padres, and one with the Yankees in 2023.
Over his career, he’s slashed .285/.421/.532/.953 with 201 home runs. He has more career walks (769) than strikeouts (696). He won a World Series in 2019 with the Nationals and has accumulated 191 postseason plate appearances, during which he’s slashed .281/.389/.538 (.927 OPS). Soto turned 26 on October 25.
Alongside Francisco Lindor, the Mets now have two superstars who will likely man the top two positions in the lineup for the foreseeable future. Soto, generally seen as a below-average fielder, will play one of the two corner outfield spots, with left field at Citi Field being seen as the easier corner to man.
Even with this signing, the Mets sit around $100 million below where their payroll was last season. President of baseball operations David Stearns, Cohen, and company are expected to continue to make additions in the rotation and lineup following the Soto deal.
More to come on this massive moment in Mets history.
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