New York, N.Y. – Four-time all-star and 2019 World Series champion Juan Soto was introduced by the New York Mets Thursday in front of the Big Apple Media at Citi Field after signing for a $765 million contract for 15 years on December 11, including with no money deferred and a $75 million signing bonus.
“What the Mets showed me and how the organization runs things alongside how they are going to manage things and look into their future is one of the things that opened my eyes to join the franchise,” Soto said to the media during his press conference on Thursday afternoon.
The Mets fell short of the National League pennant this past season and lost in the championship series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. With Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte, Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos, and Francisco Alvarez coming back, it will be interesting to see what Soto can bring to their lineup.
“I think when you got a lineup like that, and you’re a pitcher, and you go, “Woah” how do I get through this group of batters and anything that makes the team stronger, and clearly adding Juan makes it a lot stronger enhances our ability to perform,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said to World Baseball Network after the press conference on Thursday afternoon.
“Juan’s performance on the field, his accolades, and his talents speaks for themselves, and his consistency at such a young age is nearly unprecedented in the history of baseball,” Mets President of Baseball Operations, David Stearns, addressed to the media in the opening of Soto’s press conference.
With Cohen being one of the top 100 wealthiest people in the world and worth more than $20 billion, how could he not resist attempting to go after Soto with the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays being the final bidders?
Cohen, Stearns, and Boras capped off the press conference on Thursday afternoon in the Piazza Club at Citi Field by welcoming Soto to the other side of town.
World Baseball Network had the chance to speak with Boras after Soto’s press conference and was happy to see all sides come together on having him in a Met uniform.
“Really happy for Soto and his family. It was a very complicated and comprehensive negotiation over the last month. I’m really pleased that he was able to come to a decision that I think was really defined by him. He really made an informed decision of what was best for him,” Boras said to World Baseball Network.
Soto’s contract is the highest in Major League Baseball history, followed by: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: 10 years, $700 million (2024-2033), Aaron Judge, Yankees: 9 years, $360 million (2023-31), Bryce Harper, Phillies: 13 years, $330 million (2019-31), (tie) Corey Seager, Rangers: 10 years, $325 million (2022-31), Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers: 12 years, $325 million, Gerrit Cole, Yankees: 9 years, $324 million (2020-28), (tie) Manny Machado, Padres: 10 years, $300 million (2019-28), Trea Turner, Phillies: 11 years, $300 million (2023-33), and Xander Bogaerts, Padres: 11 years, $280 million (2023-33).
In the history of Major League Baseball, the top 10 free-agent contracts by average annual value were Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: $70 million (2024-33), Juan Soto, Mets: $51 million (2025-39), (tie) Max Scherzer, Mets: $43,333,333 (2022-24), Justin Verlander, Mets: $43,333,333 (2023-24), Aaron Judge, Yankees: $40 million (2023-31), Jacob deGrom, Rangers: $37 million (2023-27), Blake Snell, Dodgers: $36.4 million (2025-29), Gerrit Cole, Yankees: $36 million (2020-28), (tied) Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: $35 million (2020-26) and Anthony Rendon, Angels: $35 million (2020-26).
MLB: Juan Soto (15 years, $765 million), NBA: Jayson Tatum (5 years, $315 million), NHL: Igor Shesterkin (8 years, $92 million), and NFL: Dak Prescott (4 years, $240 million) were the top highest paid signings across all four professional American sports leagues in 2024.
The top professional athlete signings in the world with their length of contract, contract value, average per year in U.S. Dollars and average per game and event are: Shohei Ohtani with Los Angeles Dodgers 10 years (2024–2033) $700,000,000 – $70,000,000 – 432,099, Lionel Messi FC Barcelona, 4 years (2017–2021) $674,000,000 – $168,500,000 – $4,434,210, Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr, 2.5 years (2023–2025) $536,336,818 – $214,534,727 – $7,151,158, Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, 10 years (2020–2031) $450,000,000 – $45,000,000 – $2,465,686, Karim Benzema, Al-Ittihad, 2 years (2023–2025) $447,302,608 – $223,651,304 – $7,455,04, Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels, 12 years (2019–2030)- $426,500,000 $35,541,667 – $219,393, Canelo Álvarez, DAZN, 5 years (2018–2023) $365,000,000 – $73,000,000 – $33,181,818, Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers, 12 years (2021–2032 ) $365,000,000 – $30,416,667 – $187,757, and Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 9 years (2023–2031) $360,000,000 – $40,000,000 – $246,913.
Soto’s contract with the Mets includes a luxury suite at Citi Field, four premium seats per game, and award bonuses with him wearing No. 22 in Queens.
“The Mets showed me a lot of love from the standpoint of what they have for me and how they are going to try to make it comfortable for me. That’s one of the things that impressed me more of how they were going to treat my family along with trying to be comfortable with where I am at besides the money standpoint,” Soto expressed the media on Thursday.
Being the highest-paid MLB player next to Ohtani might be the fit of how Soto can change the landscape of player signings throughout the sport.
During his All-Star season with the Yankees, Soto ended the year fourth in the MLB with 41 home runs, tied for sixth in RBI with 109, second in walks with 129, 16th in average at .288, third in OPS at .988, and 17th in hits with 166, while playing in 157 games.
After one year in the Bronx with the New York Yankees, Soto helped the franchise win its 41st American League Pennant. However, the Yankees failed to win the Fall Classic, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
In his 49 at-bats this past postseason with the Yankees, Soto hit .327, scoring 12 runs, rocking 16 hits, three doubles, four home runs, nine RBI, 14 walks, two intentional walks, and nine strikeouts.
After the Yankees lost in the World Series, Soto elected free agency on October 31 before him signing with the Orange and Blue.
The left-handed slugger from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, began his journey in professional baseball when he signed with the Washington Nationals during the international signing period for a $1.5 million signing bonus on July 2, 2015, which was a minor league contract.
He became a shining star during his first professional season in 2016, playing in the Washington organization and won the Baseball America Rookie All-Star Award, the Florida Complex League MVP Award, and the FCL Postseason Award at the Gulf Coast League level, and won the MiLB.com Organization All-Star Award.
Soto played in 51 games between the GCL and Class-A Short Season, the Auburn Doubledays in the New York Penn League, hitting .368 with 207 plate appearances, smacking 70 hits, 14 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 32 RBI, swiping five bases, 17 walks, 29 strikeouts, and a .973 OPS.
Soto rose above the rankings in three seasons in the minors and was promoted from Double-A Harrisburg to Washington in May of 2018 and made his first start against the San Diego Padres at home on May 21 and hit a three-run home run over the left-center field wall in his first MLB at-bat on the first pitch he saw against left-handed starting pitcher Robbie Erlin.
Soto also hit a home run against the New York Yankees on May 15, 2018 off the bench, replacing Matt Adams in left field, five days before his first MLB start against relief pitcher Chad Green that landed in the upper deck in right center field at Nationals Park.
Two of these moments to begin Soto’s big league career have surged him into one of the prolific hitters of this decade alongside what he can bring to the lineup of the Mets, one through nine.
