Jeff Passan of ESPN is reporting on Sunday: “BREAKING: Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest deal in professional sports history.”

Soto was being courted by several MLB teams, with the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and LA Dodgers among them. The Mets have seemingly offered the highest number and have landed this season’s No. 1 baseball free agent.

BREAKING: Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest deal in professional sports history.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 9, 2024

Behind Soto in highest-paid players are Shohei Ohtani ($700M), Mike Trout ($426.5M), Mookie Betts ($365M), Aaron Judge ($360M), and Manny Machado ($350M). It’s a staggering amount of money and $65 million more than Ohtani, with many insiders believing Ohtani would be a one-off. This was a bidding war that the Mets felt they had to win. The Yankees offer was $760M over 16 years.

Soto is a generational hitter. He’s only 26 years old next season and just entering his prime. The Mets are paying for what will be, as much as what is.

Why Did Soto Choose the Mets?

When asked why Soto chose the Mets over the others, Passan said, “I think Juan Soto looked at the New York Mets’ future … and believed that the Mets have a better future than Yankees.” The Yankees offer was reportedly close. The transformation of the Mets played a huge role in Soto’s decision.

For the Mets, this is only the beginning. Passan is reporting that the Mets are willing to spend more money to surround Soto with additional pieces that will lead to a championship.

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