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The New York Mets got their man on Sunday night, signing prized free agent Juan Soto to a massive 15-year, $765 million deal. It's the biggest contract in team sports history. The craziest part? It could increase to $805 million and Soto also gets a $75 million signing bonus.
In fact, the bonus is what truly caught Cincinnati Reds skipper Terry Francona's eye.
Via Abby Jones:
“I was shocked when I saw [Juan Soto’s] bonus.”
What makes this entire contract even more shocking is that none of the money is deferred, unlike Shohei Ohtani's $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last winter. Ohtani agreed to be paid $680 million from 2034-2043.
The Juan Soto deal is mind-boggling in itself but Francona is right, it's truly wild that the slugger will just flat-out receive $75 million on top of his expected AAV of $53.6 million. The Mets and Yankees were seen as the final suitors for Soto and the Bronx Bombers only offered him $5 million less than their crosstown rivals. But, Soto instead chose to jump ship and join the NL East club.
There's a no-trade clause in the contract but Soto can opt out after the fifth season if he pleases. However, there's an interesting tidbit about that, per insider Anthony DiComo of MLB.com:
“The Mets will have the ability to void Soto’s opt-out clause after the 2029 season if they boost the average annual value of the final 10 years of his deal from $51 million to $55 million, according to a source.”
New York has yet to confirm the deal because it is pending a physical. Owner Steve Cohen has never been afraid to spend big, even if it previously backfired. A couple of offseasons ago, he went all-in to build the roster only for the Mets to end up trading both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the 2023 trade deadline.
However, in Soto, they get one of the best hitters in the game who has been a consistent offensive producer since coming up to the Majors as a 19-year-old in 2018. He should fit in perfectly in the heart of the NY lineup.
