The Juan Soto sweepstakes is over. Regardless that he’s staying in New York, he’s transferring from the Bronx to Queens after signing a 15-year contract with the New York Mets on Sunday evening.
Soto’s new deal is reportedly price $765M, comprises no deferred cash and has escalators within the deal that might take it above $800M.
It’s the largest contract ever signed in skilled sports activities historical past.
The Mets had been lengthy regarded as the Yankees’ largest competitor for Soto when it got here to his free company, particularly as a result of reality Mets proprietor Steve Cohen shouldn’t be afraid to outspend anyone on a participant that he needs.
He clearly needed Soto and was going to do no matter it took to ensure he obtained him.
What makes Soto so interesting as a participant is that he’s not solely top-of-the-line hitters in baseball proper now, however he’s additionally nonetheless solely 26 years previous and may nonetheless very a lot be within the prime of his profession with a number of elite years nonetheless forward of him.
He has additionally been a difference-maker for each group he has performed for in MLB.
He helped lead the Washington Nationals to a World Sequence championship in 2019, helped lead the San Diego Padres to an NLCS in 2022 and was the addition the Yankees wanted to get again to the World Sequence in 2024.
Soto hit .288 with a .989 OPS in the course of the 2024 common season, hitting 41 residence runs to go along with 109 RBI. He additionally had a .419 on-base proportion.
He was within the prime 4 of residence runs, on-base proportion, slugging proportion and OPS throughout all of Main League Baseball.
It’s a franchise-altering transfer for the Mets, who had been already an NLCS group in 2024. The World Sequence won’t be the expectation in 2025, and with Soto in the midst of their lineup together with Francisco Lindor that will probably be a sensible purpose.
The Yankees now have to determine how you can not solely fill a large opening of their lineup, they’ve to indicate their followers they’re nonetheless dedicated to profitable by making their very own massive splash this offseason.
