Juan Soto made history this offseason when he signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets.
One team apparently appeared willing to outspend the Mets.
That news comes directly from Soto himself. Dominican sports reporters Vian Araujo Puello and Ricardo Rodríguez recently released a clip of an interview with Soto joining them on their Abriendo El Podcast.
Soto—who spent last season with the New York Yankees—confirmed the Mets, Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays were finalists in free agency.
“The Mets weren’t the ones who offered the most money,” Soto admitted. “There were teams that offered more than the Mets.”
New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Soto did not name the unspecified teams in that clip. It is unknown if he’ll reveal those teams when the episode premieres Sunday.
According to NJ.com, the Yankees likely are not among those clubs. The Yankees reportedly offered Soto a 16-year, $760 million to remain in the Bronx.
Alternatively, perhaps a team not among the finalists presented Soto with such a lucrative offer. For example, the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies are no strangers to awarding mega contracts to young superstars.
However, we can likely safely rule out teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, and Seattle Mariners. Those organizations don’t even sign older free agents, so any of them potentially offering Soto upwards of $800 million sounds incredibly unrealistic.
Soto unofficially began his Mets career with two home runs, four RBI, and a 1.264 OPS in his first five spring training games.
