Juan Soto of the New York Yankees bats during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game Five of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium on October 30, 2024 in New York City.
Jim McIsaac | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
The New York Mets and superstar outfielder Juan Soto have agreed on a 15-year, $765 million contract, according to multiple reports Sunday. It is the largest contract in sports history.
The decision brings Soto, formerly of the Yankees, across town to Queens in a bold move by a franchise that has long been overshadowed by the Bronx Bombers.
ESPN first reported Soto’s decision to leave Yankee Stadium for Citi Field and free-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen — who shelled out an MLB-high $341.8 million for his 40-man roster in the 2024 season, according to Baseball Prospectus data.
It is the biggest investment yet by Cohen, who hasn’t been shy about opening his checkbook.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor is playing under a 10-year, $341 million contract. Cohen had shelled out $130 million for Max Scherzer and $86.7 million for Justin Verlander before he shipped both of the big-name pitchers away in 2023.
This season, the Mets rallied from a 24-35 start to make the playoffs and push the eventual world champion Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.
The NL East club had a strong offense, scoring 768 runs, the seventh most in baseball. Soto’s arrival should strengthen the Mets’ offense or at least lessen the blow of possibly losing first baseman Pete Alonso to free agency.
Soto’s departure could be major setback for the AL-champion Yankees, who lost the World Series in five games to the Dodgers in October.
The Yankees had baseball’s No. 3 offense this year, scoring 815 runs with a top-heavy lineup that’s now suddenly without a key contributor.
Soto drove in 109 runs for the Yankees, making for a powerful trio with American League MVP Aaron Judge (144) and Giancarlo Stanton (72).
But they were the only three Bombers with at least 72 RBIs, while the champion Dodgers had five batters with at least 75 RBIs. The Mets had five hitters with at least 69 RBIs in 2024.
The Mets have won two World Series (1969 and 1986) since their history began in 1962.
And while that pair of titles account for two of the best-known teams of 20th century baseball — the Miracle Mets and the dominant 1986 squad — the Mets have long fought to overcome the long shadow cast by the 27-time champion Yankees.
Soto’s addition is the Mets’ most aggressive move yet to wrest the Big Apple spotlight away from the Yankees.
Soto, 26, was hands down this winter’s most highly sought free agent, valued as much for his elite baseball skills as his birth date.
Baseball players must put in six years of MLB service time before they’re allowed to fully test free agency. Those half-dozen years of club control, at less-than-free-market salaries, can be a disincentive to sign free agents who might be approaching or already past their athletic peaks at around age 30.
Soto broke into the big leagues as a 19-year-old phenom, setting the free agency clock ticking at an early age and offering bidders a rare chance to score a player with so many prime years left in his career.
He belted a career-high 41 home runs this season (fourth most) to go along with 109 RBIs (sixth most).
Soto is also one of baseball’s most disciplined and patient hitters, having drawn walks in 18.1% of his plate appearances, compared with the overall MLB rate of 8.4%, in 2024. And in an age of swing-for-the-fences baseball, he struck out just 16.7% of the time, while the league whiffed at a 22.2% clip this season.