Juan Soto is set to sign what is reportedly the biggest
contract in the history of sport after agreeing a $765m (£600m) deal over 15
years with Major League Baseball's New York Mets.
Multiple sources in the United States have disclosed details
of the deal, although the Mets have yet to confirm it because the 26-year-old
Dominican needs to complete a medical.
Soto was set to be MLB's most sought-after free agent this
off-season having just had the best season of his career with the New York
Yankees, again showcasing his elite ability to get on base.
He has the highest career on-base percentage among active
players (0.421), only Yankees team-mate Aaron Judge had a
better OBP in 2024 and only three players hit more home runs.
The MLB website said, external Soto would
get a $75m signing bonus, with no deferred money, in a deal that could
eventually be worth up to $800m (£627m).
The total value of the deal eclipses the $700m (£558m)
10-year contract that Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last
year, with the Japanese star agreeing to defer $680m (£541m) of the amount.
Deferred-money deals are when players agree to be paid some
of their cash after the time the contract covers, and are used
frequently in American sports., external
Soto's new deal is understood to be the largest in
professionals sports in total value.
Some of the other biggest include Dallas Cowboys
quarterback Dak Prescott becoming the highest-paid player in NFL
history in September by agreeing a four-year contract extension worth $240m
(£183m).
In 2020, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
signed a 10-year contract extension worth $450m, which has the highest overall
value in the NFL. Prescott has the highest annual salary though.
In the NBA, the Boston Celtics have tied Jayson
Tatum down to a new five-year deal worth a reported $314m (£245m).
And in football, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo has
a contract with Al-Nassr until 2025 that is reportedly worth more than
200m euros (£176.5m) per year, while Lionel Messi's deal at Inter Miami is
reportedly worth up to $60m (£47m) a year.
Soto switches from Mets' New York neighbours
Soto was a free agent after spending last season with the
New York Yankees.
He helped them reach the 2024 World Series, which they lost
4-1 to the LA Dodgers.
The Yankees, according to the MLB, made a $760m (£595m)
offer over 16 years to re-sign Soto but were outbid by the Mets.
Soto had a 0.288 batting average in 157 regular-season games
last season, having hit a career-high 41 home runs and 109 runs batted in (RBI)
- awarded every time you enable someone, including yourself, to score.
In the World Series he had a 0.313 batting average, with one
home run and one RBI.
Soto played for the Washington Nationals and San Diego
Padres before joining the Yankees.
He helped the Nationals cause an upset in his first full
season when they beat the Houston Astros to win the 2019 World Series.
Soto has played 936 regular-season games in all, scoring 201
home runs, registering 592 RBIs and having a 0.285 batting average.
