Tag: Juan Soto

The New York Mets wanted Juan Soto to know that his future with them could be certain.

When the free-agent outfielder visited owner Steve Cohen’s house in Beverly Hills, California, for a presentation last month, the team showed him a video that included an image of a future Soto statue outside Citi Field, placed next to the one of legendary player Tom Seaver.

“Everything that they showed me, what they have, what they want to do, it was incredible,” Soto said. “But my favorite part was the video.”

Soto was introduced at Citi Field on Thursday, a day after finalizing his record $765 million, 15-year contract. During the event, he stood next to Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns, and agent Scott Boras. Security personnel, dressed in gray suits with earpieces, were present off to the side.

Soto, led by Boras, entered wearing a dark suit, black turtleneck shirt, and gold chain with his No. 22. He chose the Mets over the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays.

His deal includes a luxury suite, four premium tickets for home games, all for free, and personal team security for Soto and his family during all spring training and regular-season home and away games.

“My family is really important for me. Without them, I probably wouldn’t have been here,” Soto said. “It’s one of the biggest things.”

Boras had asked for these extra perks. “We included it at the beginning,” Cohen said. “He made a request and we were happy to provide.”

The Yankees, who made it to the World Series for the first time since 2009 partly because of Soto, rejected the idea.

“Some high-end players that make a lot of money for us, if they want suites, they buy them,” general manager Brian Cashman said.

Cohen bought the Mets before the 2021 season and has built the team up to the highest payroll in baseball, aiming for the team’s first title since 1986, the year when the World Series MVP, like Soto, wore No. 22 — Ray Knight. The owner thanked his son, Josh, for helping create the video and praised his 93-year-old father-in-law Ralph for attending the first meeting with Soto.

While other teams met Soto at the Pendry Newport Beach, a hotel just five minutes from Boras Corp.’s office, Cohen wanted to host the meeting at one of his homes.

“If we’re going to some restaurant, I didn’t know what the atmosphere would be,” Cohen said. “Food’s better at my house.”

Cohen and Soto met again the next day at another one of Cohen’s homes in Boca Raton, Florida. Soto asked how many championships Cohen expected over the next decade.

“I said I’d like to win two to four,” Cohen said.

Soto’s contract is now bigger than Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. It is also longer than Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year agreement with San Diego, which runs through 2034. The 26-year-old Soto batted .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs, and 129 walks this year, and has a .285 career average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs, and 769 walks over seven seasons with Washington, San Diego, and the Yankees.

Boras wouldn’t say who came in second in Soto’s decision.

“When you’re at a wedding, you don’t talk about the bridesmaids,” he said.

Soto made his decision on Sunday while at home with his family. Boras called the group the “Soto Supreme Court,” which includes “mother, sister, father — he’s got a wide group. I think he may have eight or nine uncles.”

“My information requests and such were rather unique,” Boras said, explaining that his team asked for OPS by ballpark. Soto’s 1.175 OPS at Citi Field is his highest at any stadium where he’s played 15 or more games.

Soto mentioned Cohen’s close relationship with Mets stars Francisco Lindor and Edwin Díaz as a factor in his decision.

“They are kind of like (a tight) family, a family that wants to win but they definitely want to take care of their players and their families,” Soto said.

Cohen had his wife, Alex, and father-in-law attend the first meeting to show the importance of family.

“My father-in-law is at every game, every home game,” Cohen said. “I wanted him to see how important baseball is to this family. And Alex grew up with one TV in an apartment and that Met game was on every night.”

Cohen enjoys owning the Mets. He spoke earlier in the day at a town hall meeting at his hedge fund.

“Whenever you meet somebody, they want to talk about the Mets before they talk about financial markets,” he said.

Soto’s success will be judged by how many World Series titles he helps the Mets win. The Yankees have 27, while the Mets have two. “It’s such a big city, right? There’s plenty of room for both of us,” Cohen said.

Soto had a more straightforward view. “Championships are going to tell you if it’s a Yankees or Mets town at the end of the day,” he said.

Juan Soto and the New York Mets reached an agreement on a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract on Sunday, according to a source familiar with the deal who spoke to The Associated Press. This contract could increase to $805 million and is believed to be the largest deal in team sports history.

The source spoke anonymously because the deal, which was first reported by the New York Post, is still pending a successful physical examination.

Although there are no confirmed records for sports contracts outside the United States, Soto’s agreement is considered to surpass all others in team sports. The deal, which turned down an offer from the New York Yankees, who were hoping to keep Soto after he helped them reach the World Series, was made just before the start of baseball’s annual winter meetings.

Soto has the option to opt out of the contract after the 2029 season if the Mets do not raise the average annual value by $4 million at that time. He will receive a $75 million signing bonus once the deal is approved by the commissioner’s office.

Soto’s contract is the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that was signed in December. Ohtani’s deal included $680 million in deferred payments and is valued at just under $46.1 million annually for the luxury tax purposes in baseball.

Unlike Ohtani’s deal, Soto’s contract does not include any deferred payments, meaning its average annual value is $51 million. The length of Soto’s agreement also exceeds Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year contract with San Diego, which runs through 2034.

The Yankees’ final offer to Juan Soto was $760 million over 16 years, according to a second source familiar with the negotiations. This source, speaking anonymously because the offer was not made public, said the deal would have an average annual value of $47.5 million.

At 26, Soto is a four-time All-Star and is considered the most accomplished free agent at his age since shortstop Alex Rodriguez signed a record $252 million, 10-year contract with Texas in December 2000, when Rodriguez was 25.

Soto made his MLB debut with Washington at 19 in 2018 and helped the Nationals win the World Series the following year. During that season, he batted .282 with 34 home runs and 110 RBIs.

In 2022, Soto turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer from Washington and was traded to San Diego that August. After the passing of Padres owner Peter Seidler, Soto was traded to the Yankees in December 2023. He helped the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009.

Soto hit .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 129 walks, batting second in the order ahead of Aaron Judge, and contributed to an offense that led the majors with 237 home runs. He hit a go-ahead home run in the AL Championship Series opener against Cleveland and a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the 10th inning of Game 5 to win the pennant against the Guardians.

Over seven seasons in the majors, Soto has a .285 batting average, 201 home runs, 592 RBIs, and 769 walks.

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.