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- Dominican baseball star Juan Soto has reportedly signed a 15-year deal with the New York Mets.
- The contract is worth an estimated USD$765 million (AUD$1.2 billion) with clauses that may see it swell above USD$800 million (AUD$1.255 billion).
- The deal would represent the largest contract in sports history.
- Soto would be 41-years-old by the time the contract concludes.
Forget about Moneyball, Dominican baseball star Juan Soto has reportedly just signed the largest contract in sports history. According to the Associated Press, the influential outfielder has agreed to a monster 15-year contract with the New York Mets worth a whopping USD$765 million (AUD$1.2 billion). Both ESPN and Major League Baseball’s official outlets reported the signing, giving credibility to what could sport’s most incredible story.
Juan Soto Signs with Mets
Soto, a 26-year-old outfielder who has previously played for the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and most recently New York Yankees, triggered a bidding frenzy earlier this month when he entered free agency off the back of a stellar 2024 season. The left-handed batter was instrumental in propelling the Yankees to the World Series for the first time since 2009, and finished the 2024 postseason batting .327 with a .469 OBP, hitting four home-runs and nine RBIs in 14 games.
The prodigious talent finished third in MVP voting for the year, but it wasn’t enough to keep him in Yankees colours. Even a competitive 16-year offer, reportedly worth USD$760 million (AUD$1.19 billion) didn’t stop the star athlete from testing the waters, eventually signing with crosstown rivals, the Mets.
The move comes just two years after Soto turned down a 15-year, USD$440 million (AUD$689 million) offer from the Washington Nationals, who had signed him as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic. The decision reportedly angered the Nationals, who went on to trade Soto to the San Diego Padres, a decision that kickstarted a unique period of vagabond success for the talented Soto.
Juan Soto Contract Breakdown
According to ESPN, Soto’s incredible contract, which the Mets have yet to confirm as it is subject to a physical, includes an opt-out after five years and no deferred money—which if waved—would trigger a secondary clause. Sources told the sports publication that if Soto chooses not to opt out, his deal will go up USD$4 million (AUD$6 million) per year, rising from an already ludicrous USD$51 million (AUD$80 million) to USD$55 million (AUD$86 million) per season for the remainder of the contract. Add in the reported USD$75 million (AUD$117 million) signing bonus and it becomes clear that Soto’s contract could realistically balloon out to over USD$800 million (AUD$1.255 billion) by the time it concludes.
If you break down the figures, you start to get a grip on just how much money the 26-year-old is set to receive. Using the upper measurements, in terms of annual salary and accounting for his USD$75 million signing bonus (AUD$117 million), estimations have Soto earning a cool USD$55 million (AUD$86 million) per season not including licensing and endorsements. Here’s the full Juan Soto contract breakdown:
- USD$55 million per season (AUD$86 million)
- USD$4.58 million per month (AUD$7.16 million)
- USD$150,684 per day (AUD$235,616)
- USD$6,278 per hour (AUD$9,817)
- USD$104.64 per minute (AUD$163.62)
‘Largest Contract in Sports History’
With Soto set to rake in over USD$800 million (AUD$1.255 billion) over the next 15 years, the record books are certain to be rewritten. The Dominican star’s salary is slightly higher than that of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who signed for USD$700 million ahead of the 2024 season. Importantly, Ohtani’s contract caps out at 10-years and it back-end loaded.
Where Soto will likely earn a steady salary over the duration of the deal, Ohtani opted have $680 million in salary deferred for a decade. Essentially, the Japanese prodigy will make USD$2 million (AUD$3.12 million) per year until 2034 and then USD$68 million (AUD$106 million) annually for the next 10 years.
Similarly, football legend Lionel Messi’s estimated USD$674 million (AUD$1.05 billion) deal at Barcelona may be lower that Soto’s, but only runs across four years, making it more valuable per season. The same goes for Cristiano Ronaldo’s two and a half year USD$536 million (AUD$840 million) deal in Saudi Arabia.
