Juan Soto is the best player available in MLB free agency, leading to a bidding war between the biggest teams in baseball including the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. Just days out from becoming one of the highest-paid MLB players ever, new details are emerging regarding the contract he wants.
Soto, age 26, has previously turned down $400-plus million contract offers from the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres when he played for those franchises. Years later early estimates projected he would be landing a $500-plus million contract this offseason and that number has climbed even further.
Related: MLB rumors reveal when Juan Soto is expected to sign
- Juan Soto stats (ESPN): .288/.419/.569, .989 OPS, 41 home runs, 109 RBI, 31 doubles
Earlier this week, MLB rumors emerged that the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Toronto Blue Jays had all made contract offers to Soto. All of these are preliminary proposals, with the final round of contract offers expected to come at the MLB Winter Meetings.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, it’s believed that Soto is looking for a 15-year contract worth well north of $600 million total. If he lands a 15-year deal, Soto would be under contract into his early 40s.
Related: New York Yankees ‘Plan B’ if Juan Soto leaves
- Juan Soto career earnings (Spotrac): $82.304 million
Importantly, any deal the All-Star outfielder would sign is likely to include multiple player options. As early as three to four years in the deal, the All-MLB First Team outfielder could re-enter MLB free agency before his age-31 season. In doing so, he could maximize his value with the hope of MLB revenue climbing in the coming years thus allowing him to negotiate for an even higher salary.
Also Read: Week 13 fantasy rankings
A 15-year deal would be the longest in MLB history, beating out the 14-year, $340 million contract Fernando Tatis Jr. signed with the San Diego Padres. If Soto’s contract length demand is met, it’s a near guarantee he becomes just the second player in MLB history to sign a $600 million contract.