Two summers ago, the Washington Nationals offered their star outfielder Juan Soto a $440 million deal. At the time, it would have been the largest deal in MLB history—and Soto turned it down. Shortly after, the Nats sent Soto to the San Diego Padres in a mega trade. He played a little over a season in San Diego, with the Padres trading him to the New York Yankees this year.
Despite sporting a lineup jam-packed with stars, Soto and the Yankees fell short in the World Series, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. It seemed like as soon as the final out was recorded, the talk around the Bronx turned toward what Soto, now a free agent, would do.
We don't yet know how much he'll sign for, but that $440 million he turned down will likely look like chump change.
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Soto is seeking something in the neighborhood of $700 million, the record deal that Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers this offseason.
Ohtani's deal is structured unlike most other MLB contracts. He's only making $2 million per season for the duration of the contract's ten years, with most of the money being deferred for at least a decade. Factoring in inflation estimates, his deal isn't nearly as good as it seems (though, of course, it's still quite impressive).
Soto wants the same amount of money—but without any of the deferred payments. He's only 26, so whatever team gets him will still have several years of his prime. They'll just have to pay a ton for the honor.
Based on his performance throughout his career, Soto is worth an expensive price tag. The 2024 awards haven't come out yet, but Soto is a four-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, two-time All-MLB First Team, and has also made an All-MLB Second Team. He's a bat you want to have in the lineup.
The Yankees and the cross-town rival Mets are expected to be the frontrunners for Soto's services, though he's not turning down anyone for now.
"Every team has the same opportunities," Soto said after the Yankees lost. "I don't want to say anybody has an advantage because, at the end of the day, we're going to look at what they have and how much they want me."
Very few of us will have an opportunity to turn down $440 million. Even rarer is when that decision turns out to be the right one. For Juan Soto, it could make him wealthier than any MLB player before him.
