Dominican baseball player Juan Soto signed the biggest salary contract in the sport this weekend, when he agreed to leave the News York Yankees for the NY Mets: he should receive US$765 million (about R$4.6 billion) over 15 years contract, including a $75 million signing bonus. The agreement also includes an option to be exercised by the franchise in 2029 and could reach US$805 million (R$4.8 billion).
Although in annual terms, some footballers, basketball stars and American football players may have higher salaries, the total contract is the largest in the world, above that of Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 26-year-old slugger had a stellar campaign with the Yankees in 2024, hitting 41 homers and driving in 129 runs, helping lead the team to their first World Series Finals since 2029. In the end, they were beaten by the Dodgers and came up short. the runner-up.
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In addition to his arm strength, Soto is considered a patient and cerebral player, hardly venturing into hitting outside the “strike” zone – an imaginary area between the hitter’s knees and chest. This guarantees greater efficiency in sports statistics.
Soto has now accumulated 769 runs in 936 games spanning the first seven years of his Major League career.
The Dominican also has 201 home runs in his career, tied with legend Albert Pujols for sixth place in history for a player before turning 26 – this count puts him behind only Jimmie Foxx (222 HR), Eddie Mathews (222) , Alex Rodriguez (216), Mel Ott (211) and Mickey Mantle (207), but in their favor is the fact that the 2020 season was shortened due to the pandemic.
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The 26-year-old star made his professional debut with the Washington Nationals in 2018. The following year, he won the World Series (MLB final). In 2022, the San Diego Padres acquired Soto in a trade. He stayed with the team until the 2023 season, when the New York Yankees signed him.
According to Forbes magazine, the signing shows the strength of the Mets’ billionaire owner, Steve Cohen. After purchasing the club in 2020 for $2.475 billion, he spent big to bring in some of the game’s biggest stars.
The Mets are currently in 6th place in the sport in market value, with US$3 billion
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(With Estadão Content)
