Juan Soto Rumors Take Unexpected Twist Before Record-Setting Deal
The Juan Soto sweepstakes came to a conclusion on Sunday, with the slugger making a nine-figure decision on his MLB future -- but not before some last-minute drama with as a dark horse team entered the mix.
ESPN's Jeff Pasan reported that the All-Star came to an agreement with the New York Mets on the biggest contract in sports history.
"BREAKING: Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest deal in professional sports history," Pasan shared in a post on X.
There had been growing rumors that Soto was nearing a decision. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the former New York Yankees star, who hit free agency this offseason, is nearing a decision on a deal that could set MLB history.
Still, Nightengale underestimated the final contract by $15 million.
"Juan Soto is on the verge of signing a monstrous deal that will certainly exceed a record $700 million – perhaps even reach $750 million – two officials with direct knowledge of negotiations told USA TODAY Sports," Nightengale reported on Sunday, prior to Soto's final decision. "The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly comment."
While the Yankees and Mets had been seen as frontrunners as both teams have owned with deep pocketbooks and are willing to spend, MLB insider Greg Amsinger suggested another team could jump into the mix.
Amsinger predicted a wide-open race with no team above a 50% shot at signing Soto as of Sunday evening. He had the Mets as the most likely team at 38% likelihood followed by the Toronto Blue Jays.
"I believe the Toronto Blue Jays may be drastically large [favorites] and could throw money that is astronomically higher than the New York Yankees," Amsinger reported on Sunday.
He added that the Blue Jays may not be able to keep stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, so Soto would be a long-term investment to keep them in contention in a competitive AL East.
But it was ultimately the Mets and free-spending owner Steve Cohen who landed Soto.
What's Trending
