Juan Soto and the New York Mets agreed to a groundbreaking 15-year, $765 million contract on Sunday night, according to a source close to the deal who spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, as the deal had not been officially announced and was still pending a successful physical exam.
This contract is the 12th in Major League Baseball worth at least $325 million. The following is a list of the others. The figures, obtained by The Associated Press from both player and management sources, include guaranteed money but exclude potential bonuses. The list does not differentiate between deferred payments:
Juan Soto, N.Y. Mets, 2025-2039, $765 million
Soto’s contract easily surpasses Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal from the previous winter, which is believed to be the largest in sports history. Soto’s deal has no deferred payments.
He turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer from Washington in 2022, was traded to San Diego, and then to the New York Yankees before entering free agency at just 26 years old. Soto is the most accomplished free agent at that age since shortstop Alex Rodriguez signed a record 10-year, $252 million deal with Texas in December 2000 at age 25.
Shohei Ohtani, L.A. Dodgers, 2024-33, $700 million
Ohtani’s deal includes $680 million in deferred payments, which are scheduled to be paid out from 2034 to 2043. As a result, the value of his contract varies depending on the method of calculation.
For luxury tax purposes, it is discounted by 4.33% and valued at approximately $46.08 million per year. The players’ association uses a 5% discount, bringing the annual value to about $43.7 million, while for MLB regular payrolls, it is discounted by 10%, giving it an annual value of about $28.2 million.
In the first year of the deal, Ohtani won his first World Series title and third MVP award after hitting .310 with a National League-best 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, and a 1.036 OPS. He also stole 59 bases, becoming the first 50-50 player in MLB history. Ohtani is expected to return to pitching in 2025 after recovering from elbow surgery.
Mike Trout, L.A. Angels, 2019-30, $426.5 million
Trout signed his deal in March 2019 and won his third AL MVP award during the first year of the contract. However, he has played in just 266 games over the last four seasons due to injuries including a strained right calf, back spasms, a broken left hand, and a torn meniscus in his left knee. During the first six seasons of the contract, Trout has hit .281 with 138 home runs, 306 RBIs, and a .995 OPS.
Mookie Betts, L.A. Dodgers, 2021-32, $365 million
Betts agreed to the deal in July 2020, five months after being acquired from Boston, and helped the Dodgers win World Series titles in 2020 and 2024. An eight-time All-Star, Betts has a .283 average with 116 home runs, 322 RBIs, 52 stolen bases, and an .899 OPS in the first four years of his deal.
Aaron Judge, N.Y. Yankees, 2023-31, $360 million
Judge, who became a free agent and then was named Yankees captain, signed the deal in December 2022. He earned his fifth and sixth All-Star selections during the first two years of the contract, hitting .300 with 95 home runs, 219 RBIs, 221 walks, and a 1.104 OPS. Judge helped the Yankees reach the 2024 World Series, their first appearance since winning the 2009 title.
Manny Machado, San Diego, 2023-33, $350 million
Machado originally signed a $300 million, 10-year deal with the Padres in February 2019, with the option to opt out after the 2023 season. After he opted out, the Padres extended his contract to $470 million over 14 seasons. Over six seasons with San Diego, Machado has a .275 average with 167 home runs and 536 RBIs. In the first two years of the new deal, he has hit .267 with 59 home runs and 196 RBIs.
Francisco Lindor, N.Y. Mets, 2022-31, $341 million
Lindor, acquired by the Mets from Cleveland in January 2021, signed a 10-year deal that began in 2022. While he has yet to make another All-Star appearance with the Mets, Lindor finished as the NL MVP runner-up to Ohtani in 2024. He has a .259 average with 110 home runs, 359 RBIs, and 86 stolen bases with the Mets, including a .266 average with 90 home runs, 296 RBIs, and 76 steals under his current deal.
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego, 2021-34, $340 million
Tatis was just 22 when he agreed to the longest contract in baseball history in February 2021. However, he missed the 2022 season while recovering from surgery for a broken left wrist and serving an 80-game suspension after testing positive for the banned substance Clostebol. Since signing the deal, Tatis has hit .271 with 88 home runs, 224 RBIs, 65 stolen bases, and an .855 OPS.
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia, 2019-31, $330 million
Harper agreed to his deal in February 2019 at the age of 26. He won his second NL MVP award in 2021 and has been an All-Star twice for the Phillies, bringing his total to eight.
Harper has a .285 average with 152 home runs, 455 RBIs, and a .924 OPS in 726 games over six seasons with Philadelphia. His 2023 season started late due to Tommy John surgery, which moved him from right field to first base.
Giancarlo Stanton, Miami/New York Yankees, 2015-27, $325 million
Stanton’s contract was the largest and longest in baseball when he signed with the Marlins in November 2014. After setting career highs in 2017 with 59 home runs and 132 RBIs, he was traded to the Yankees, who took on a portion of the remaining money owed to him.
Stanton has spent significant time on the injured list, missing 294 games over six seasons due to injuries. In the contract’s first decade, Stanton has a .249 average with 275 home runs, 704 RBIs, and an .850 OPS.
Corey Seager, Texas, 2022-31, $325 million
Seager’s deal was finalized before the 2021-22 lockout, and he helped lead the Rangers to their first World Series title in 2023, earning his second World Series MVP award after hitting three home runs and driving in six RBIs against Arizona. In the first three years of the deal, Seager has a .280 average with 96 home runs, 253 RBIs, and an .875 OPS.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, L.A. Dodgers, 2024-35, $325 million
Yamamoto signed the largest and longest contract ever for a pitcher in December 2023. The 26-year-old right-hander posted a 7-2 record with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts in 2023, missing time due to triceps tightness. He was 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in four postseason starts, including a win over the Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series.
