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New York Yankees fans woke up to the news that one of their biggest stars signed a monster contract with a rival across town.
Usually bidding war stories end with the 27-time World Series champion Yanks signing a superstar for an unheard-of amount. However, this year, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan (who also broke the contract news) noted, “A Yankee chose to be a Met.”
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
Four-time All-Star Juan Soto, 26, signed a 15-year, $765 million contract Sunday with the New York Mets, multiple sources told ESPN. The contract reportedly has a $75 million signing bonus, no deferred money, and a chance to opt out after the 2029 season.
The deal would be the largest in sports history. The Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, 29, signed the largest contract in the NFL in 2020 at 10 years, $477 million. This past summer, the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, 26, signed the richest contract in NBA history for five years and $314 million.
For baseball only, it tops the previous biggest contract, 30-year-old Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year Dodger deal, signed in 2023 for $700 million. The next biggest is the Yankees’ 32-year-old superstar Aaron Judge’s 2022 contract for nine years at $360 million.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The Yankees reportedly offered their star outfielder, who helped the 2024 team get to the World Series, a $700 million-plus over 15 seasons. But in the end, Soto went with the bigger deal, leaving the Bronx for Queens—and more millions.
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The news has placed the Mets with the second-highest odds of winning the 2025 World Series, per Bet MGM, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mets lost to the Dodgers in the 2024 NLCS.
Meanwhile, the Yankees franchise is MLB’s richest team, estimated to be worth more than $7.5 billion, while the Mets are No. 6 on the list, worth around $3 billion.
The league’s least valuable team, the Miami Marlins (disclaimer: this author is a Marlins fan), is worth an estimated $1 billion, just shy of Soto’s contract.
If Soto sticks with his contract and continues his success, he could have a future career as a team owner.
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