According to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media, the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays have all made offers to free agent outfielder Juan Soto, who is looking for a $700 million contract. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi confirmed the report Monday night.
According to Miller, all five teams extended contract offers to Soto and agent Scott Boras “late last week.” Miller adds that Soto is “believed to be seeking a 15-year deal worth more than $700 million.” A 15-year, $700 million contract may set a record for a baseball player in terms of both length and dollar value. Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023, but the deal’s current value is $437,830,563, according to MLB Players Association figures.
Soto, 26, is three years younger than Ohtani was last year. He has made four All-Star teams, won a World Series championship, and hit 201 home runs in seven seasons with the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. Soto hit 41 home runs, scored an AL-leading 128 runs, drove in 109, and reached base at a.419 rate while batting ahead of Judge for the New York Yankees in 2024. Soto finished third in MVP voting, trailing only Judge and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and played a key role in bringing the Yankees to their first World Series appearance since 2009.
All of the teams who queued up to meet with Soto reportedly sent a representative from ownership and the team’s baseball operations department (a president of baseball operations and/or a general manager), in addition to the manager. Each meeting appeared to go well enough that the five teams felt obligated to make a formal offer. Soto is widely expected to sign during the week of the Winter Meetings in Dallas, Texas, from December 8 to 12.
With Soto commanding such a large contract, the remaining free-agent dominoes are waiting for him to sign before they fall. Once Soto’s fate is determined, the four teams that do not sign him will have plenty of money to spend and holes to fill on their roster.
