"Never thought about being the highest-paid player" - Juan Soto addresses possibility of his next contract eclipsing Shohei Ohtani's $700m deal
Superstar outfielder Juan Soto is set to enter free agency at the end of the 2024 MLB season and command a huge contract, but he maintains that he has never thought about the money.
Despite having recently joined the New York Yankees, Soto is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, meaning that his time in NY could be short-lived. Given his reputation and record in the major leagues, Soto is expected to sign a lucrative contract, which might even eclipse Ohtani's $700 million deal,
He wants to focus on the season ahead instead of making any long-term decisions. However, given his stature in the league, Soto is expected to sign one of the biggest contracts in the history of the MLB after the season. When asked for his thoughts on the same, he said:
"As a kid, you never think about money. You always think about playing baseball. It was always my mindset. ... I never thought about being the highest-paid player in the game."
Juan Soto was signed by the Washington Naitonals as an international free agent in 2015.
He went on to make his major league debut with them in 2018. In the next four years, he established himself as one of the best young players in the league and also won a World Series in 2019. He was traded to the San Diego Padres ahead of deadline day in 2022.
Entering the 2023 seaon with the Padres, there was high hopes for Soto and the team, but they failed to deliver. That led to a trade to a trade to the Yankees, with one year remaining on his contract.
Yankees star Juan Soto says that he never wanted to leave the Nationals
In a recent interview with The Athletic, New York Yankees star Juan Soto spoke about several topics.
He opened up about his love for the Washington Nationals. His move away from Washington was clearly an emotional one. Soto explained that it was because the team had shown faith in him form a young age:
"I never wanted to leave Washington," he said.
However, the front office deemed it best to trade him to the San Diego Padres in 2022. Nevertheless, Soto has respect for how GM Mike Rizzo handled the trade.