Juan Soto’s free agency saga has finally come to an end with the 26-year-old signing a $765million deal with the New York Mets, according to a report.
Both New York teams, the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are battling alongside the Los Angeles Dodgers to sign the slugger, who hit 41 home runs for the Yankees in the 2024 regular season before entering free agency.
But the multi-million-dollar dogfight for his signature has finally come to an end after the Dominican star finally crowned a winner Sunday night.
Soto has abandoned the Bronx for the Yankees’ cross-town rivals the New York Mets, inking a $765m, 15-year deal, according to multiple reports.
The contract marks the largest deal in professional sports history, beating Shohei Ohtani’s blockbuster commitment to the Dodgers last year.
And, unlike the Japanese two-way star’s deal, not a dime of Soto’s with the Mets is deferred with the contract having the potential to reach upwards of $800m, according to Jeff Passan.
Juan Soto’s free agency saga has finally come to an end, inking a $765m, 15-year deal
Soto abandoned the Yankees’ cross-town rivals the New York Mets (pictured: owner Steve Cohen)
The outfielder had been a crucial member of the Yankees’ lineup last season, firing the Pinstripes to the World Series alongside Aaron Judge. And Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone and co. had reportedly been desperate to bring him back to the Bronx to launch another offensive at the championship series.
But just a little over a month on from their heartbreak, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, their superstar slipped through their fingers.
Their reported bid of $760m over 16 years wasn’t enough to prevent Soto from swapping one New York borough for another.
Soto had 41 home runs last year to go with an impressive .418 on-base percentage and league-best 128 runs scored, all of which makes him one of the most coveted free agents in baseball history.
Soto had reportedly met with the Yankees, Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, asked teams to submit initial offers by Thanksgiving and says Soto has started to eliminate clubs from consideration.
The Yankees’ reported bid of $760m over 16 years wasn’t enough to prevent Soto from leaving
‘He’s just got a lot of information to meld through,’ Boras said Tuesday after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ news conference to introduce Blake Snell, another of his clients. ‘Juan is a very methodical thinker.’
Soto is the top player available among this year’s free agents. A four-time All-Star, Soto finished third in AL MVP voting after hitting .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks. He has a .285 career average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 769 walks over seven major league seasons.
Soto turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer from Washington in 2022, prompting the Nationals to trade him to San Diego, which then dealt him to the Yankees last December. Soto then combined with Aaron Judge to lead New York to the World Series, where the Yankees lost to the Dodgers.
More to follow.
