Major League Baseball star Juan Soto has signed a historic 15-year, $765 million (£600 million) contract with the New York Mets, the largest in professional sports history.
The deal, which includes a $75 million signing bonus, surpasses the previous record set by Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen called the acquisition a “seminal moment” for the franchise, hailing Soto as a “generational talent” with an impressive championship pedigree.
Soto, 26, was the most sought-after free agent after a career-best season with the New York Yankees, where he hit 41 home runs and drove in 109 RBIs.
The Mets outbid Soto’s former team, the Yankees, who offered $760 million over 16 years. Soto’s move to the Mets follows a career that began with the Washington Nationals, where he won the 2019 World Series, and included a stint with the San Diego Padres.
Known for his consistency, Soto has a career .285 batting average, 201 home runs, and 592 RBIs across 936 games.
The record-breaking deal further cements his status as one of the most valuable players in baseball, eclipsing major contracts in other sports, such as Patrick Mahomes’ $450 million NFL deal and Jayson Tatum’s $314 million NBA contract.
