It feels like Major League Baseball’s offseason is essentially at a standstill until outfielder Juan Soto decides where he wants to play for the next 10-plus years. While there is a long list of interested teams, the New York Mets and New York Yankees are seen as the most likely landing spots.
Soto spent 2024 with the Yankees and quickly proved that playing in a big media market like New York wasn’t a big deal for him. He was an All-Star Game starter and recently won his fifth Silver Slugger Award. Soto is also one of three finalists for the American League MVP Award.
His final year before becoming a free agent went perfectly when it comes to maximizing his value on the open market. Soto appeared in 157 games, which led to a .989 OPS with 41 home runs, 109 RBI and 128 runs scored. Baseball Reference valued his performance at 7.9 WAR, which is a new career-high mark for the 26-year-old.
Will the Yankees be able to retain the left-handed slugger on a lucrative long-term deal? Deadspin’s David Brown doesn’t think so. He shared his predictions on landing spots for MLB’s top 10 free agents. He thinks Soto will stay in New York but play for the Mets after signing a 13-year, $702 million deal.
Depending on the details, this would be the richest contract in baseball history, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last winter. That agreement includes $680 million of deferrals, which lowers the present-day value to about $460 million.
Soto has long been expected to land a deal worth more than $500 million. More recent predictions have landed beyond the $600 million plateau. The question will now be how motivated certain teams are to land the superstar. Steve Cohen is baseball’s richest owner. So, if Soto is serious about switching boroughs to play for the Mets, offering the most lucrative contract probably won’t be an issue.
