Several reports on Sunday claimed that superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets had reached an agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract. The biggest deal in sports history is this one.
In a daring move by a team that has long been eclipsed by the Bronx Bombers, the decision moves Soto, previously of the Yankees, across town to Queens.
According to Baseball Prospectus statistics, Soto’s choice to depart Yankee Stadium for Citi Field and free-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen was originally reported by ESPN. Cohen spent an MLB-high $341.8 million on his 40-man roster for the 2024 season.
Cohen, who isn’t afraid to open his pocketbook, has made his largest investment to yet.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor has a $341 million, ten-year deal. Prior to shipping the two well-known pitchers away in 2023, Cohen had spent $130 million on Max Scherzer and $86.7 million on Justin Verlander.
In order to qualify for the playoffs and force the eventual world champion Los Angeles Dodgers to play Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, the Mets overcame a 24-35 start this season.
With 768 runs, the seventh-highest total in baseball, the NL East team possessed a potent offensive. The Mets’ offense should be strengthened by Soto’s arrival, or at the very least, the impact of potentially losing first baseman Pete Alonso to free agency will be lessened.
The AL-champion Yankees, who fell to the Dodgers in five games in the October World Series, may suffer a serious blow with Soto’s departure.
This season, the Yankees had the third-best offensive in baseball, scoring 815 runs with a top-heavy lineup that is now suddenly without a vital player.
Along with Giancarlo Stanton (72) and Aaron Judge (144), the American League MVP, Soto scored 109 runs for the Yankees, forming a potent combination.
However, the victorious Dodgers had five players with at least 75 RBIs, while they were the only three Bombers with at least 72. Five of the Mets’ batters in 2024 had at least 69 RBIs.
Since their founding in 1962, the Mets have won two World Series (1969 and 1986).
Even though the Miracle Mets and the dominating 1986 club are two of the most well-known teams in baseball from the 20th century, the Mets have long struggled to dispel the Yankees’ long-standing legacy.
The signing of Soto is the Mets’ most aggressive attempt to deprive the Yankees of the Big Apple limelight to date.
The 26-year-old Soto was by far the most sought-after free agent this winter, prized as much for his exceptional baseball abilities as his birthdate.
Before they may fully test free agency, baseball players must complete six years of MLB service time. At earnings below the open market, those six years of club control may deter free players who may be nearing or have already passed their athletic prime, which is about age thirty.
As a 19-year-old sensation, Soto made his major league debut, starting the clock on free agency early and giving suitors a unique opportunity to acquire a player with so many more years of prime left in his career.
Along with 109 RBIs (sixth most), he hit a career-high 41 home runs (fourth most) this season.
In 2024, Soto drew walks in 18.1% of his plate appearances, which is higher than the MLB average of 8.4%. He is also one of baseball’s most patient and disciplined hitters. Additionally, he only struck out 16.7% of the time in an era of swing-for-the-fences baseball, whereas the league whiffed at a 22.2% pace this season.
