The Dominican Juan Soto is on the verge of achieving a new milestone in the world of baseball and professional sports. Pending confirmation, he is expected to sign an unprecedented contract with the Mets from New York. The agreement, which will last 15 years and a value of 765 million dollarsturns Soto into the highest paid athlete of all timeaccording to Jeff Passan, a journalist specializing in the MLB (Major League Baseball).
This contract that the Dominican will sign will surpass the one signed by the Japanese Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which last year set a record with 700 million for ten years.
Soto, 26 years old and originally from Dominican Republicis considered one of the most talented hitters in baseball history. His arrival to the Mets implies a significant change in the New York baseball dynasty after his time in the NY Yankeesa team with which he reached the World Series in the season that ended a few weeks ago.
The offer he received from the Yankees, 760 million for 16 yearswas below that of the Mets, who offered him an average annual value highest of 51 million dollarscompared to the Yankees’ 47.5 million.
The owner of the Mets, Steve Cohenhas shown since acquiring the team in 2020 his determination to make the franchise the envy of the Major Leagues. His wealth and willingness to spend have been decisive factors in hiring Soto.
“For me, “The best hitter in the Major Leagues right now is Juan Soto.”commented the legendary former player David Ortiz, adding that Soto is “a hitter who has no hole in his swing and has such a perfect strike zone that pitchers cannot attack anywhere.”
Soto’s path to this historic agreement was not easy. After entering the major leagues in 2018 at just 19 years old, he quickly He stood out for his command of the platedemonstrating patience and determination uncommon for his age. Soto’s impact was felt in New York where, with the Yankees, led the team back to the World Series after an absence of more than a decade. Before joining the Yankees, Soto starred in the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals, where he played a key role in their victory.
Soto also turned down a significant offer from the Washington Nationals in 2022, which It would have been for 15 years and 440 million dollarsa brave move that, according to Soto himself, prevented the offer from negatively affecting the contracts of other emerging stars in the league. The player accumulated a series of personal successes throughout his seven MLB seasons, including multiple All-Star selectionsthe Silver Bat award and a triumph in the Home Run Festival.
The signing of this contract establishes a precedent in the sports world, not only in terms of value, but also by the associated clauses that could increase the total settlement to more than 800 million dollars. Furthermore, the contract includes a signing bonus of 75 million and one exit option after five yearsproviding Soto with flexibility rare in deals of this magnitude in professional sports.
Soto’s contract, by not containing deferred payments like Ohtani’s, and by being free of extensions, demonstrates the Mets’ confidence in the talent and potential of this young player that will continue to make history in the MLB. In addition to Soto, the Mets, led by Cohen, seek to ensure a competitive future and fulfill the promise of winning the World Series in the coming years, a commitment that Cohen expressed since his entry as owner of the team. The incorporation of Soto thus reinforces this ambition, positioning the Mets as a serious contender for the titles to come.
