Juan Soto Becomes Highest Paid Player in MLB History After Signing With Mets
The New York Mets have just signed four time all-star Juan Soto to a 15 year, $765 million contract, making it the largest paying contract in MLB history.
The contract details include an opt out option after 5 years which would make him eligible to join another team by the time he is 31. If Soto decides to engage in this option, the Mets are able to void this action by increasing his salary by $4 million a year for the last 10 years (going from $51 million to $55 million), which would make the total payout $801 million over 15 years.
After breaking down the numbers, Soto’s Record setting contract will earn him $4.25 million per month, $139,726 per day, and $5,822 per hour for the next 15 years.
The highly sought after free agent is coming off a career season after one year with the Yankees putting up 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, an American League-leading 128 runs, and finished 3rd in American League MVP voting. Soto also played a big factor in the Yankees reaching the World Series this year, including his extra innings home run in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series which sent New York to its 41st World Series.
At just 19 years old, Soto arrived in Washington as a highly regarded prospect who quickly passed through the Nationals farm system, making his major league debut earlier than anticipated due to injuries in the team's outfield. In his first start on May 21, 2018, Soto wasted no time making a name for himself absolutely ripping the first pitch he faced 422 feet to the opposite field. Soto is already a World Series Champion, winning it with the Nationals in 2019 at just 21 years of age. He hit 3 home runs in that World Series, helping the Nationals upset the favored Houston Astros.
The Mets are starting to raise a lot of talk about becoming potential World Series contenders in the 2025 season after adding some serious power to their roster in Soto. The Mets are coming off of a surprisingly positive season where they made it all the way to the National League Championship and lost to the eventual World Series Champion Dodgers. The Mets were considered heavy underdogs to even make the playoffs at the mid way point in the season, until they had a completely transformative second half of the season to make the postseason edging out the Braves and former NL champs Diamondbacks by one game. The Mets have found a new face of their franchise making them National League contenders for at least the next 5 years. Soto will join forces with powerhouses such as Fransisco Lindor, Pete Alonoso, and Edwin Diaz making the Mets a must watch team this upcoming season.
