ESPN reporting that the Mets have signed Juan Soto to 15-year/$765 million deal

[True Dough]

Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources told ESPN on Sunday night, the largest deal in professional sports history.

The deal includes an opt out after five years and no deferred money, sources said. It has escalators that can reach above $800 million.

The 26-year-old Soto, whose prodigious power, discerning eye and postseason bona fides created a free agent frenzy among some of the game's blue-blood teams, joins a Mets team that made a surprising run to the NLCS last season and are now poised to contend for years to come.

Following a standout season with the New York Yankees in which he guided the team to the World Series and finished third in American League MVP voting, Soto's presence in the free agent market drew significant interest. While the Mets, Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers were among the final bidders, teams across the financial spectrum -- including the lower-payroll Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays -- explored signing Soto, covetous of his special bat.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/42864917/sources-mets-land-juan-soto-15-year-765m-deal

[Auggie]

1. Tennis, anyone?

Golf? Bowling? Pickle Ball?

[WestMichRad]

2. Yikes!

Average annual value is $51 million, none of it deferred money as in the Ohtani contract. The opt out clause would let Soto leave after 5 seasons, but the Mets have a clause that would let them buy off the opt out by boosting his annual bribe by $4 million (which will bring the total value to $805 million). OMG, indeed.

What’s really insane is that it is a 15 year deal. He’ll be playing at age 41 (or being paid then, anyway) if the contract runs in full.

Reportedly, Soro rejected a 16 year, $760 million offer from the Yankees. Presumably that opt out clause and conditional pay boost was the clincher for Soto.

May all the free agent pitchers sign elsewhere!

[True Dough]

3. Three comments from me:

1) Steve Cohen has some crazy money and he's not afraid to deploy it, for better or worse

2) While your points are valid about the terms and duration of the contract, at least it's not as bad as the Barry Bonilla deal in terms of length! Bonilla is being paid to age 72! Of course that's a terribly low bar for the sake of comparison.

3) MLB badly needs a salary cap!

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Yes, Yes, Abd Yes

Spot on for all 3 points.