Juan Soto and the New York Mets reached an agreement on a record $765 million, 15-year contract Sunday night, according to a source familiar with the situation. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the arrangement had not been published and was contingent on the successful completion of a medical.
This is the 12th contract valued at least $325 million in Major League Baseball. Here’s the rest. The figures were gathered by the AP from player and management sources, and they include all guaranteed salary but exclude revenue from prospective incentive bonuses. There is no differential for deferred funds.
Juan Soto, N.Y. Mets, 2025-2039, $765 million
Soto’s contract easily topped Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million agreement from the previous winter, making it the largest in sports history, and it includes no deferred payments. He turned down Washington’s $440 million, 15-year contract offer in 2022, and was then transferred to San Diego and then the New York Yankees before becoming a free agent at 26 years old. Soto is the most accomplished free agent at that age since shortstop Alex Rodriguez signed a record $252 million, 10-year contract with Texas in December 2000, when he was 25.
Shohei Ohtani, L.A. Dodgers, 2024-33, $700 million
Because contract includes $680 million in deferred money payable from 2034 to 2043, the deal Ohtani signed as a free agent is valued differently in different ways. The luxury tax is lowered by 4.33% and is estimated to cost $46.08 million each year. The players’ association discounted it by 5%, valuing it at around $43.7 million. For MLB regular payrolls, it is lowered by 10% and quoted at approximately $28.2 million.
Ohtani won his first World Series win and third MVP award in the first year of the contract after hitting.310 with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, and a 1.036 OPS, which leads the NL. He stole 59 bases, making him the first 50-50 player. He is anticipated to return to pitching in 2025, having recovered from elbow surgery.
Mike Trout, L.A. Angels, 2019-30, $426.5 million
Trout won his third AL MVP award in the first year of a contract signed in March 2019, but the 11-time All-Star has appeared in only 266 games over the last four seasons due to a strained right calf, back spasms, broken left hand, and torn meniscus in his left knee. He hit.281 throughout six seasons of the contract, with 138 home runs, 306 RBIs, and a.995 OPS.
Mookie Betts, L.A. Dodgers, 2021-32, $365 million
Betts accepted to the deal in July 2020, five months after being acquired from Boston, and has helped the Dodgers win championships in 2020 and 2024. Betts, an eight-time All-Star, has hit.283 with 116 home runs, 322 RBIs, 52 stolen bases, and an.899 OPS over the first four years of his contract.
Aaron Judge, N.Y. Yankees, 2023-31, $360 million
Judge agreed to the deal after becoming a free agent and was later named Yankees captain. Judge earned his fifth and sixth All-Star selections in the first two years of the contract, hitting.300 with 95 home runs, 219 RBIs, 221 walks, and a 1.104 OPS. He helped the Yankees to the 2024 World Series, their first since winning the trophy in 2009.
Manny Machado, San Diego, 2023-33, $350 million
Machado signed a $300 million, 10-year contract with the Padres as a free agent in February 2019, with the option to opt out after the 2023 season and forfeit $150 million. The Padres gave him a new contract in March 2023, increasing their commitment to him to $470 million over 14 years. In six seasons with the Padres, he has a.275 batting average, 167 home runs, and 536 RBIs, and he has been selected to two All-Star games, bringing his total to six. In the first two seasons of his current contract, he has a.267 batting average, 59 home runs, and 196 RBIs.
Francisco Lindor, N.Y. Mets, 2022-31, $341 million
Lindor, who was acquired by the Mets from Cleveland in January 2021, agreed to a 10-year contract that began in 2022 before the 2021 season began. He was a four-time All-Star with Cleveland and has yet to be selected for another All-Star Game with the Mets, despite being the National League MVP runner-up to Ohtani in 2024. He has a.259 average with 110 home runs, 359 RBIs, and 86 stolen bases with New York, as well as a.266 average with 90 home runs, 296 RBIs, and 76 thefts under the multiyear contract.
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego, 2021-34, $340 million
Tatis was only 22 years old when he signed what was then baseball’s longest contract in February 2021. Tatis did not play in 2022, first recovering from surgery for a broken left wrist sustained in a motorcycle accident, then serving an 80-game suspension for a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Clostebol; Tatis claimed he accidentally took a ringworm medication that contained the banned substance. Tatis has hit.271 since signing the contract, with 88 home runs, 224 RBIs, 65 stolen bases, and an OPS of.855.
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia, 2019-31, $330 million
Harper, a free agent at age 26, signed the contract in February 2019. He won his second NL MVP award in 2021 and has made two All-Star appearances for the Phillies, bringing his total to eight. Harper has hit.285 with 152 home runs, 455 RBIs, and a.924 OPS in 726 games for the Phillies over the last six years. The start of his 2023 season was pushed back to May 2 due to Tommy John surgery, which forced the team to transfer him from right field to first base.
Giancarlo Stanton, Miami/New York Yankees, 2015-27, $325 million
Giancarlo Stanton’s career and contract have been a mix of historic highs and frustrating lows. His 2014 extension with the Marlins was groundbreaking at the time, signaling a huge bet on his incredible power and offensive upside. And for a while, he delivered—his 2017 MVP season was unforgettable, capped by his monstrous 59 homers and 132 RBIs.
However, since joining the Yankees, injuries have significantly hindered his ability to match the expectations tied to his contract. Missing 294 games over six seasons is a tough pill for any team to swallow, especially when Stanton’s availability and production often determine the Yankees’ offensive ceiling.
Still, his .850 OPS and 275 homers over the past decade show his value when healthy, but the combination of declining durability and the remaining years on his deal make it a challenging situation for the Yankees. As Stanton enters the back end of the contract, his ability to stay on the field could shape not only his legacy but also the Yankees’ flexibility moving forward.
Corey Seager, Texas, 2022-31, $325 million
Texas ratified Seager’s contract on the eve of the 2021-22 lockout, and he led the Rangers to their first World Series championship in 2023, receiving his second World Series MVP award after hitting three home runs and six RBIs against Arizona. In the first three years of the contract, he hit.280 with 96 home runs, 253 RBIs, and an OPS of.875.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, L.A. Dodgers, 2024-35, $325 million
His contract, which expires in December 2023, was the richest and longest ever signed by a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Yamamoto, a right-hander who turned 26 in August, went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts before being shelved from June 15 to September 10 due to triceps soreness. He went 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in four postseason starts, defeating the Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series.
