“Could I get three really good players for $600M?” - MLB analyst questions spending big on Juan Soto
Sports analyst Dan Patrick asked about the value of Juan Soto's potential contract, which is expected to go beyond $600 million. He wondered if it made financial sense to invest such a big amount of money in one player as compared to Shohei Ohtani.
"Remember when the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes got to 600 million, and we were like, what? How is this possible? Is he worth it?," he said on Wednesday on "The Dan Patrick Show."
"Now, he has proven to be worth 600 million dollars. But he has a global following. Juan Soto, 600 million dollars? He's a really, really good hitter. That's it. There's no global reach with Juan Soto."
Patrick’s also considered the effect on fans.
"Like, you know, who is going to pick up the tab? You. ... The owner's gonna spend money," Patrick said. "Well, you know what the owner's gonna do? I'm gonna spend the money, I'm gonna raise ticket prices, parking, concession.
"So, you are helping flip the bill of (New York Mets owner) Steve Cohen, who wants to bring in Juan Soto. You know, we all say the following: 'Man, I love my owner spends money.' Well, you are spending money, too, 'cause it's gonna cost you. We're in this together.
"Could I get three really good players for $600 million that might make my team better? I mean, that would be my approach. But if you got the money, you wanna spend the money, and you bring in Juan Soto. Then, you are the Mets, great. You keep him from the (New York) Yankees and (Los Angeles) Dodgers, great.
"Juan Soto hits 40 home runs, drives in 120 runs and one hits 285 and not a good fielder, what else are you getting? I don't know. For 600 million, I'd like a little more."
Juan Soto’s contract talks and 2024 season show changing trends in MLB salaries and team strategies
The conversation around Juan Soto’s estimated contract points to wider trends within professional baseball regarding player compensation and team financial planning.
Scott Boras, Soto’s agent, is known for securing expensive contracts for his clients, and most observers believe that there will be many bids for him from teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox and Blue Jays.
Several offers of around $600 million reportedly have already come in for Soto, thereby setting a new trend in today’s market for elite players’ salaries.
After joining the New York Yankees from the San Diego Padres last December, Soto had a good first season with the Yankees. He maintained a batting average of .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs.