New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has been backing up the Brinks truck this offseason.
Cohen has spent nearly $1 billion, with his biggest acquisition coming in the form of generational superstar Juan Soto, whose $765 million contract set the record for largest professional sports contract of all time.
The deal easily surpassed the $700 million contract Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023. Unlike Ohtani’s contract, which is 97% deferred, Soto’s includes no deferrals.
The Mets also agreed to bring left-handed starter Sean Manaea on a three-year, $75 million contract.
The total amount the Mets have spent this offseason stands at $918.25 million and could increase to $956.25 million if the Mets void Soto’s fifth-year opt-out clause, according to the New York Post.
What countries has New York Mets owner Steve Cohen outspent this offseason?
Despite the substantial pre-holiday spending, the Mets aren’t finished. They have been linked to bringing back homegrown talent Pete Alonso and pursuing two-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman.
With Cohen’s spending approaching $1 billion this offseason, he has already surpassed the total GDP of seven countries, according to data from Worldometer:
- Samoa: $832 million
- Dominica: $612 million
- Sao Tome and Principe: $547 million
- Micronesia: $427 million
- Marshall Islands: $280 million
- Kiribati: $223 million
- Tuvalu: $60 million
If Cohen’s spending exceeds $1 billion, the number of countries would rise to 10.
After the Mets’ surprise run to the NLCS in 2024, Cohen is hoping his offseason spending will bring home a World Series trophy in 2025.