With Juan Soto agreeing to a mind-boggling 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets on Sunday night, Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract has been topped only one year after it rocked the baseball world. The two mega deals have some key differences, including Ohtani’s deferrals and Soto’s extra five years, but they are each monumental contracts that dwarf all other MLB commitments.
BREAKING: Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest deal in professional sports history.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 9, 2024
So, who is next?
The next $700 million player will be someone special
Ohtani and Soto are both generational talents who needed everything to go right. Ohtani became a player never-before-seen in baseball: a fantastic two-way player with international adoration and sponsorships galore.
Soto debuted at 19 years old and developed a skillset that includes historically great plate discipline. Both took risks in turning down huge extension offers, correctly predicting that free agency’s bidding wars would skyrocket their values.
The next contract of this ilk isn’t likely to come for a while, but if all breaks right for an über-talented youngster, the next $700 million man could already be in the bigs. The stars must align perfectly for these candidates, but if Ohtani and Soto can do it, why not them?