The Juan Soto sweepstakes have captivated the baseball world for the last few weeks. After aggressive bidding between the top five teams, the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers, Soto has finally agreed to the deal he wants.
Soto has agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets after the Yankees came up just short with a 16-year, $760 million offer, per multiple MLB insiders. What are all the absurd details that come with this monumental contract? First, this is the largest contract in the history of sports. It’s not merely the biggest contract in baseball history; it’s more valuable than any deal ever signed by an athlete. The first question many will ask likely pertains to how much deferred money is in the deal. Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract last winter came with $680 million deferred. But for Soto, not a single dollar reportedly will be deferred. Every penny will be paid to him during the length of his deal, including a massive $75 million signing bonus. The deal reportedly also comes with an opt-out clause after the fifth year.
If Soto finds that his deal is undervalued after the 2029 season, he has the ability to opt out and enter free agency yet again, as a 31-year-old. This deal is a true unicorn contract in sports. One year after Ohtani set the mark at $700 million, Soto breaks that record with ease.
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