Juan Soto is set to become MLB's highest-paid position player once his free agency ends, as Ken Rosenthal and Brendan Katy of The Athletic are reporting the former Yankee outfielder has multiple offers exceeding $600 million.
Not only would it be the richest contract ever handed to a full-time position player, in terms of both total value and per season salary, but it would be the second biggest contract ever given out to an athlete in the "Big Four" American sports.
While Soto will likely not be the highest-paid player in all of MLB — that honor goes to Shohei Ohtani after signing a $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last winter — but he'll be a close second. Ohtani is a unique case as baseball's best two-way star as both a starting pitcher and designated hitter.
Still, Soto will beat the largest free agent contract given to a position player (Aaron Judge, nine-year, $360 million) by a wide margin.
Given the amount of money being reported, it will most likely come down to the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox as the top suitors Soto's services. The Blue Jays are known to still be in the running as well, while the Dodgers have been ruled out by some sources (while other sources are adamant they are still in).
According to @JeffPassan, all teams that have made an offer to Juan Soto are still in including the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also said that there will be meetings over the weekend, which can end in a decision on Soto’s next team. pic.twitter.com/h2kbwoXxSD
— steven | LAD (2024 World Series Champs) (@brokeboysteven_) December 4, 2024
Soto's track record shows he deserves every penny he'll get
Soto is coming off one of the best single-season performances in recent history. After being traded to the Yankees in his final year ahead of free agency, he hit .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI, and a .988 OPS, as New York advanced to their first World Series appearance since 2009.
What makes Soto a unique free agent target is not only his youth, having just turned 26 in October, but also his ability to impact a lineup in multiple ways. In seven seasons between the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, and Yankees, he has a career slash line of .285/.421/.532 with 201 home runs and 36.4 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). He's been named to four All-Star teams and has been an MVP finalist twice in his career, including 2024.
Soto has not only been a great player in the regular season, but he's also performed well in the postseason. He's had one opportunity to play in October with each of the three teams he's played for, and he's advanced to at least the League Championship Series with each squad. He won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019 and a pennant with the Yankees last season.
Looking at his Baseball Savant page, it's clear that Soto was one of the best hitters in baseball last year, even beyond the surface-level numbers.
Not only is he one of the most disciplined hitters in baseball, as evidenced by a minuscule chase rate of 18.3% and a monstrous walk rate of 18.1%, but he also consistently makes loud contact. Soto had a hard-hit rate of 57.0% and a barrel rate of 19.7%, both ranking in the 99th percentile amongst qualified hitters.
The xStats (expected stats) indicate that his bottom line numbers somehow underperformed his batted ball metrics in 2024. Soto is credited with a .319 xBA, .646 xSLG, and .462 xwOBA by Statcast, which outpace his .288 average, .569 slugging percentage, and .421 wOBA.
Assuming Soto can stay healthy for most of his remaining career, he is on a Hall of Fame track. The team he chooses to sign with will likely be the cap he wears to Cooperstown for his induction some 20 years down the road, as he'll spend the next decade-plus with that team.