Juan Soto’s next contract predicted to reach $750M over 15 years, per insider
There is no denying that Juan Soto will define the 2024 offseason. The ultra-talented outfielder seemingly has the market stalled as teams are waiting to see where he will end up.
Even though Soto found himself in the middle of a tremendous season with the New York Yankees, his looming unrestricted free agency lingered all year long. His predicted salary number has only grown as the days pass. According to MLB insider Buster Olney, Soto could be staring down a potential 15-year, $750 million deal.
This may sound absurd. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers inked Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal last season. According to fellow insider Jeff Passan, that potential Soto deal could include deferred salary, similar to Ohtani's deal.
Thanks to super-agent Scott Boras getting to work and drumming up as many high-priced suitors as possible, there is a realistic chance that Soto's new contract could surpass Ohtani. Several clubs reportedly remain in the running for Soto's services, including the Yankees, Dodgers, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
Although a 15-year, $750 million contract seems unfathomable, Soto is just 26, meaning he would be 41 by the end. Last season, he posted a .288 average with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs and a .989 OPS, earning an American League MVP finalist nomination.
The free agent floodgates could open once Juan Soto signs with a club
As previously mentioned, the free agent market has nearly completely stalled as the league awaits where Juan Soto lands. Fear not baseball fans, it is expected that soon after Soto signs with a team, a plethora of other notable deals will come rolling through.
Players such as Teoscar Hernandez, Willy Adames, Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso are some of the notable names linked to the same teams as Soto, so once he signs, the clubs could pivot. It will be interesting to see if Soto's salary will impact the stars' contracts mentioned above, especially if their agents can leverage it into a lucrative deal.
Despite being the beginning of December, the offseason is still relatively early. This means that most of the action is yet to come. While players like Blake Snell and Luis Severino have signed deals, the next few weeks could reshape the MLB landscape.