The Juan Soto free agency was one of the most anticipated in baseball history. It was expected to deliver historic results and did just that. He signed a massive 15-year, $765MM deal with the Mets. That’s the longest contract ever and the largest guarantee. The $51MM average annual value is also a record if one considers the deferrals in Shohei Ohtani’s deal with the Dodgers. Ohtani technically got $700MM over ten years for a $70MM AAV but the heavy deferrals bring the net present value down to the $45MM range annually.
Despite all those records, Soto claims he could have got more. Abriendo Sports released a teaser for a Spanish-language interview they did with Soto. The full conversation won’t be released until Sunday but reporter Mike Rodriguez provided an English translation of the teaser. Soto says that the field was narrowed to the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Red Sox and that the Mets didn’t offer the most money, with multiple teams offering more.
No other details were provided but it’s potentially an interesting bit of information. The five finalists are not surprising, as they were the clubs most often connected to Soto throughout the winter and towards the end of his free agency. Soto’s claim that the offer from the Mets wasn’t actually the highest doesn’t align with previous reporting. At the time of the agreement with the Mets, it was reported by Jon Heyman of The New York Post that the Yankees topped out at $760MM over 16 years. Sean McAdam of MassLive reported that the Red Sox maxxed out at $700MM over 15. Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported that the Blue Jays stopped short of $700MM. Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon, Brendan Kuty and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the Dodgers stopped at $600MM.
All those numbers are under what Soto got from the Mets, so it’s tough to figure which teams could have had a larger offer than $765MM. Andy Martino of SNY reports today that Boston was one of multiple clubs willing to go higher than the top offer if they thought Soto would accept, but he went to the Mets because of the “family-friendly vibe” established by Alex Cohen, wife of Mets owner Steve Cohen. Perhaps the Red Sox had topped out at $700MM in terms of an official offer but had made some sort of verbal indication to Soto and agent Scott Boras that they were willing to keep pushing.
Speculatively speaking, it’s also possible that there was some creative accounting going on. The Dodgers are famous/infamous for their heavy use of deferred money in the contracts they sign with players. Ohtani’s contract is the most extreme example. As mentioned, it came with an advertised sticker price of $700MM but actually had a net present value that the league calculated at just over $460MM while the MLBPA calculated it around $438MM. While the Dodgers reportedly stopped their offer at $600MM, perhaps that was a post-deferral number, while the offer might have had a shinier pre-deferral number.
Or perhaps there was some mystery team willing to throw out wild numbers that Soto never took especially seriously. 11 clubs reportedly reached out to him at the start of free agency. Soto was connected to clubs like the Giants, Phillies, Rays, Royals and even his original Nationals club at various points through the offseason. None of them seemed to get especially close. The Rays reportedly offered Soto some kind of high-AAV deal on a short-term, so it’s also possible that’s what Soto is referring to. Maybe the Rays offered a higher AAV than the Mets but with far fewer years.
Ultimately, it’s all a moot point. Soto has signed with the Mets and that can’t be changed now. Still, it does make for fun hypothetical speculation. Teams generally went nuts for Soto because of his incredible track record at such a young age. Many top prospects don’t debut until their mid-20s but Soto already had 936 big league games under his belt by the end of his age-25 season. And he had hit .285/.421/.532 for a 158 wRC+ in those. To get that player with so many prime years remaining was a very rare alignment that led to an unprecedented bidding war and perhaps we don’t know how high it actually could have gone.
This has gotta be the most common response when a player signs a free agent contract
It’s true. The Tokyo Ham Fighters offered him $765,000,000,001 Yen.
This is BS.
This is part of Boras’ playbook.
If you don’t want to be called a traitor and mercenary, just say “I didn’t take the biggest offer”.
He was traded two times in the last couple of years. Who did he owe loyalty too?
@Mets
more mercenary
If that was the case he probably would have signed one year contracts for an extremely high AAV and bounced around every year and not signed a 15 year deal.
Signing Boras is a commitment to money, a sign there is no room for loyalty. Nats learned that quickly and let the Padres and Yankees find out.
Fortunately the Mets took advantage of where he does place his loyalty: who pays the most.
This Soto statement is to combat his greedy image for Mets fans to justify he’s their guy and always wanted to be there. It helps sell a story.
Cleveland, what agents and players don’t want as much money as they can get?
Mets – I agree. The notion that the Mets didn’t offer the most money probably has more to do with Soto trying to endear himself to Mets fans by making them think he didn’t sign with the Mets because of the money.
Soto doesn’t want to come across as being a gold digger.
BTW – David Ortiz, who has close ties to both the Red Sox and Soto, said the Red Sox maxed out at $600M and there’s absolutely no reason for him to be lying.
gbs42 — I’d argue he’s just more blatant. Boras leaves little to no room prior to free agency. And that’s what his clients expect.
Maybe Soto isn’t either and is talking about a higher AAV the LAD may have offered, but no where near total value/term Soto wanted.
Lars is full of BDS. Boras Derangement Syndrome.
Lars likes Elaine.
“…family-friendly vibe” established by Alex Cohen, wife of Mets owner Steve Cohen.”
WTF???
padam – Yeah that’s one of the dumbest excuses I’ve ever heard.
“I’m gonna take $100M+ less because this team has a good vibe” ….. said no athlete ever.
Maybe he likes the school system.
Lars MacDonald: Traitor to whom, and who but you is calling anybody one?
Sure Juan!
More peso’s doesn’t mean it’s more money
Good luck Juan So-so.
A lot of fans eat this garbage up. He wants to be with my team. Or my team isn’t cheap he just wanted to be close to his family.
I don’t care what reporters say. Just human nature to take the best deal. Other teams could offer more $. But how much deferred. Did the offer the same opt out. Are the taxes the same. Someone could have offered him more $ but it wasn’t a better deal.
California teams will offer a higher $ number but it doesn’t mean it’s more $.
Lots of people take jobs with lower salaries based on other considerations such as family, community, vocation, a sense of mission. Admittedly, it’s hard to see what the Mets can offer that the Yankees cannot, except more money. But maybe we’ll learn something interesting about Soto’s values when the interview is published.
To a degree. 10 grand or 10 million 20 less sure. Takes a real idiot or someone who doesn’t care about $ to turn down 40 or 50 more.
bcjd: Todd Zeile, who had two stints with the Mets sandwiched around one with the Yankees, said that he found the Yankees’ culture too stifling and corporate, and some players chafe against it.
Perhaps Soto feels that the Mets offer a less uptight environment.
I know its controversial, but I am going to go with the player knows more about how much money was offered to him than reporters do.
This guy is so EMBARRASING
What would be embarrassing is thinking Jon Heyman knows more about the offers Soto got than Soto does. Are you really that stupid?
Me? THIS guy as in the guy claiming that Soto is lying for reasons unknown and we should believe reporters over players.
The coping is hilarious from everyone and their mothers. Seriously. They rather call him and his agent (who didn’t say one word) a liar than accept he wanted to be a Met. Its not difficult to comprehend. Alonso also wanted to remain a met. Nimmo wanted to remain a Met. Its not impossible to comprehend players want to play for certain teams. Like what the heck does he get by lying.
It actually is pretty difficult to comprehend someone wanting to be a Met.
Pads – Before you insult a bunch of people, consider this ….
1) The “Mo Money” statement was from an interpreter, not directly from Soto.
2) It was explicitly used as a teaser.
3) It could be stretching the truth if the “Mo Money” included a huge deferral amount.
4) It could be stretching the truth if the “Mo Money” was a higher AAV for fewer years.
5) It wasn’t the Red Sox who offered “Mo Money” because David Ortiz confirmed they maxed out at $600M.
6) Soto and Boras are so greedy they demanded a complementary private suite for the season and four complementary season tickets directly behind home plate.
Sour – It’s unfortunate you rushed to jump to a conclusion that is illogical.
Perhaps at least wait until Sunday to hear more details and see the quote in context?
Sourhaze: Embarrassing to whom, you? Why?
Sour, sorry. I must have them muted. All I see is your comment.
We will see Sunday, won’t we.
Interpreter’s JOB is to accurately translate what the speaker is saying in that language.
It was actually a Spanish language interview, so no interpreter would have been used.
People trying to day that Soto knows less about what he was offered than reporters is ridiculous. Really embarrassing for them if they actually think that.
Pads – There’s too much incentive for Soto to lie about it, or at least stretch the truth.
FPG: There’s nothing wrong with asking for something during a negotiation. The other side is free to say no or to ask for something in return.
No player, agent, or team owner is any more greedy than anyone else.
Blue – I agree for the most part, but it’s a really bad look.
The Yankees have luxury suites for all their players (friends and relatives) to share. Soto wanting his own private luxury suite came across as very egomaniacal, like he was superior to his teammates.
I’m glad the Yankees refused to break protocol by granting Soto his request.
Soto knew Yankee legends such as Judge and Jeter never got a free luxury suite, and yet he still insisted on it.
And BTW …. Jeter and Judge both PAID for their luxury suites.
He didn’t insist, he asked. And I can argue that it’s a two-way street – that if the Yankees have such a protocol, it’s greedy and cheap on their part to insist on payment of relatively small sums from players who generate a tremendous amount of revenue for the organization.
Blue – He knew the Yankees policy, yet he still requested a free suite. That’s insisting no matter how you try to dress it up.
The Yanks offered him $760M and you’re calling them cheap? Too funny!
Obviously it’s besides the point. The point is for decades it’s been a policy, to break it now – especially for someone who played only one year with the Yankees – would be 100% unethical and guaranteed would have upset many current and former players.
And who has the right to decide which players are “worthy” of having the policy broken for? How would that be determined? Is Goldie worthy? Stroman? Gil? Williams? Rodon? Cole?
But you go right on complaining how unfair it is that a player with a $760M contract has to pay up to $400K a year because he’s too egotistical to share a luxury suite with his teammates.
God Bless America!
philliesphan77: But far more difficult to comprehend someone wanting to be a Phillie or a Phillies fan.
FPG: MLB players belong to the same strong united union. Why would any of them get upset about what another player gets?
And you saying it’s been a policy for any amount of time is pure speculation without knowing anything about the organization’s internal culture.
FPG,
The Yankees changed their facial hair policy for a player who had never played a game for them.
And back to an earlier topic, I wouldn’t assume David Ortiz has full insight into the details of Boston’s negotiations with Soto and Boras.
Blue – Exceptions to a team policy, that’s why. Not surprised you wouldn’t understand why someone like Judge would be upset if the Yankees broke a team policy just for Soto.
So now you’re saying I made up the Yankees team policy on player suites? End of discussion, There’s a lot of information I never mention because it’s impossible to prove, but when you deny reported facts such as the Yankees forcing Jeter to pay for his suite then it’s pointless to continue a conversation with someone who tries to discredit others as a way to create a feeling of superiority.
gbs – A policy change that benefits ALL players is not the same as making an exception for a player, which would be viewed as preferential treatment.
Ortiz is extremely close to Soto, he led the Red Sox recruitment of Soto. He’s like a Godfather to Soto.
And Ortiz works for the Red Sox and is obviously privy to inside information because of his relationship with ownership and the front office. Why would he lie and risk angering both sides, what motive would he have? His lying doesn’t benefit Soto or the Red Sox.
FPG,
Cal Ripken Jr. got a suite on the road when his teammates didn’t. Benefits change over time, and maybe this would have been the beginning of a new trend.
I’m not saying Ortiz lied, but it’s certainly possible he was not informed of the last offer the Red Sox made.
This goes under the, “Shut up” and let’s play baseball. I’m sick of hearing how much he signed for..the Mets won’t when the World Series..IMOP
Hostile much?
Yup. Once signed, the player then tries to convince that it’s the team they love, not the money. Nothing wrong with that. Just be honest.
The grandpa from the Simpsons just said “Soto cause I refuse to recognize Ohtanuh”
Uh. Then what DID they offer?
A billion with 90% deferred
It has to be on an AAV basis and not total contract value, or perhaps a larger overall contract but with 50% deferrals. I don’t care what team it was, if someone offered him more than $765M/15 with no deferrals, he would have taken it no question!
Dotty – I totally agree! Although I do give him the benefit of the doubt that he’d leave maybe up to 3% more on the table.
I mean if the Yankees or another team had offered $770M as the highest final offer of any team, I do think Soto could have turned that down. But I don’t think he’d turn down another offer that was more than $25M higher.
Soto: “I didn’t sign with the Mets because I’m greedy! Scout’s honour!!”
This is standard boiler plate language to try to imply to fans that despite the massive amounts of money involved, the team a player signs with isn’t about money but about family values and blah blah blah but it in fact very much almost always boils down to the most money or the most money after taxes or whatever- but yes it’s possible a team they would be less competitive on or wasn’t in as desirable a location offered like 16 years/$800M vs the 15 years/$765M he signed with the Mets for.
But I doubt he turned down $900M vs $765M or whatever-but maybe beyond a certain point the money stopped mattering to him? Either way, this was still about *virtually* the most money.
Boras does this all the time
Does what, exactly?
Why call someone a liar with zero proof?
Why believe a claim like this with zero proof? Goes both ways.
A claim like what? He didn’t say he landed on Mars. What benefit would he possibly get by lying which there has never been a hint to him doing before? Is it really hard to believe the Blue Jays, Red Sox or Dodgers offered more money but it had deferrals?
“Someone a liar”…,Scott Boras is literally KNOWN for taking the highest offer in negotiations. It’s written right on page one of updated his playbook.
Now, for some reason he and Soto want to be known as not taking the highest offer. Talk about a spin job. It’s getting deep in here.
Boras didn’t say anything. Soto did. When has Soto ever remotely been accused of lying before? He was actually very honest and blunt in the whole process.
So what you are trying to say is that reporters know more about what happened than the player that was actually the one receiving the offers?
So what you’re trying to say is that a professional athlete is 100 percent truthful with the media?
So what you are trying to say is that the media is 100% truthful and have more information about what a particular player was offered than the player does? Give me a break. Better yet, GTFOH.
If your argument is that the baseball media is dishonest and knows little, why are you so trusting of this report?
Came out of Sotos mouth
Because Soto said it, not a reporter. That you are trying to say he lied but Jon Heyman and others that reported how much he was offered are 100% accurate is really pathetic.
Sour – Actually, no it didn’t.
It came from a reporter who translated.
Ever heard the term “lost in translation”?
Very bold of you to assume I do not speak Spanish. Its only my main language and its what literally SOTO says on the teaser
Sour – Haha! That won’t work on me, but you can claim whatever your little heart desires.
I’ll be waiting for context and details, rather than foolishly buying into the deliberate teaser. Details such as which teams allegedly offered him more than $765M, how much more did they offer, how many years did it cover, how much was deferred, etc.
Calling bs on this.
You are correct. No way Soto had a higher offer with nothing deferred. Maybe the Pirates had an offer to Soto for $3 Billion… paid out as the league minimum for the next 15 years, and the rest being paid out in a lump sum in the year 2847
Hey, that was the Royals offer ⚾
Who cares, he’s not worth it and am happy the Yanks didn’t get stuck with that back half of that contract.
Considering that it would have limited them on rounding out the team, I’m ok they’re not stuck with the front half.
And they still didn’t round out the team.
I’m confident they did. Unlike the Mets with their rotation.
Mets Era Thumping Soto:
100%
Mad Hatter:
You’re confident they did? Half of their lineup is either a complete question mark a total black hole.
Mad Hatter:
“I’m confident they did. Unlike the Mets with their rotation.“
Yeah, and how is that Yankees rotation looking at this point?
The Yankees didn’t round out the team. They have no 3B, no backup catcher, and Pablo Reyes and Trent Grisham as their Utility guy and 4th OF.
Pads fan they have no 3b but I ain’t sweating backup catcher.
They literally have none on the 40 man roster, just an NRI. I wouldn’t sweat it either, but I would be concerned that with a $300 million roster that the team doesn’t even have one on the 40 man roster and will have to clear a spot to get even the terrible NRI that they do have onto the team.
Pads fan did they get rid of Rice and I missed it? In case you didn’t know Rice is a catcher, not a first baseman. Escarra has been great so far this spring, 40 man or not.
You should be sweating that Max Fried contract not the lack of backup catcher.
Cashman said he won’t catch, so there is that.
And half a rotation at this point…
Joe,
The Yankees could have signed Soto and still would only have been “limited” by Hank’s unwillingness to spend.
He’s not even the best player in the game. There are at least three to four players who are better.
Maybe he’s the worst player in the league!!!!! You guys made such a good call only offering him $760 million
Raven: Out of curiosity, who would those three or four players be? Ohtani, ?,?. Soto is a great all-around hitter, but his defense is not the best. We don’t know how good Ohtani’ D is. So who are the best all-around players that we know of? Vladdy? Freeman? Tucker?
Ohtani. Witt. Judge. That’s three players I’d say are better, for starters.
Soto is a generational hitter, no doubt. But those three (and perhaps a few more) are better players, in that they are comparable in terms of impact at the plate while giving you defense, baserunning, and in Ohtani’s case, pitching as well.
Not speaking for Raven, but I’ll give you 4 more, Avenger- B. Witt, Tatis, Gunnar and Betts.
Gwynning: I was considering saying Mookie as well, but it felt a little homer of me. Which is silly, because I’d absolutely take Mookie Betts over Juan Soto.
Ronald Acuna Jr is better as well, imho.
Solid post db, jinx!
No way Betts over Sotto. Simply because of the age factor right now.
Witt is the best player in baseball. Ohtani is next.
differentbears can someone be “generational” if there are others better or just as good than him? Ohtani, Judge, Witt, Acuna, Henderson, Betts, Freeman and Tatis are every bit as good and some of those are better.
Betts is not and Tatis isn’t even top 50 maybe not even top 100.
Mets even if you question a couple of the names, the point still stands. Generational implies he’s better than everyone else and he obviously isn’t.
Tatis has a lot of room to make up for since his whole PED scandal, I know he got hurt last year and his exit velocity numbers and all those other stats are still elite but he hasn’t put it together since then so for now I wouldn’t put him better then Soto until he proves it again.
I 100% don’t think he’s the best player in baseball. I think if Witt went to free agency at 26 he would have gotten more. If Ohtani wasnt injured and had his heart set on LA he would have gotten a lot more. Gunnar Henderson will have brink trucks lined up. Spots contract won’t be the highest for that long.
Yankee Clipper:
Yeah, I’d rather have the guy who hasn’t blown out both his ACLs.
Among position players: Witt Jr, Judge, Ohtani. Lindor Betts, and Henderson are close.
None of that matters. Soto was a top 5-6 player in baseball and a FA at the perfect age. He hit the FA market right after his age 25 season. Any player that is in the top 10 at that age is going to get paid extremely well for a very long time.
Pads Fans:
This is the best argument. It’s about the age. People keep talking about that dollar amount and not remembering that this is not the typical 30-year-old free agent. This is a guy who is 26 years old, so of course the extra four or five years of a contract is going to equate to a couple of hundred million more. Furthermore players of this level almost never become available at this age. In fact, I’m curious how many free agents from the age of 25 to 27 became free agents who were near this level in the last 30 years or so.
Generational hitter, I said.
differentbears. There can only be one generational player at a time, otherwise they would not be generational. That honor goes to a player with the ability no one has seen before. That title belongs to Ohtani and only Ohtani.
Judge, Ohtani, and Witt were all better last year by fWAR; looking at the past 3 years, he’s the 7th best position player behind those three plus Lindor, Freeman, and Betts.
Witt is a fantastic player, but the best player in the game right now is Judge, and it’s not particularly close.
He’s a top 3 bat for sure.
He is the best player in the game who was a FA at 25 years old.
As a Dodger fan, I second this emotion. Committing to a big-ticket player for 15 years and to age 40 is very risky. It also shows how much of a relative bargain the Dodgers got in Ohtani.
Then him taking 5M more (1 less year) from NYM and still live there (paying NYC taxes – sure, he could be living in NJ/CT), while not hitting in front of perennial MVP Judge and that stadium that gave him career-highs, and that national stage…makes no sense.
RunDMC: If a player plays in one city but lives in another, they have to pay taxes in both cities.
avenger65: No they don’t. You can’t be taxed on the same income in two jurisdictions.
When you file a tax return, your state of residence gives you a credit for taxes paid to the other jurisdiction.
Judge is about to be 33 this year and aside from him who else do the Yankees have that will usher in the new generation. In 2-4 years Judge will probably be a non factor until the playoffs like Stanton is now, unless he ages like Bonds did.
I believe that as much as I believe he is 26.
James,
What evidence do you have that Soto isn’t 26?
He’s a very humble guy, considering a dh got $700M. Soto deal is almost team friendly.
It was the Oakland A’s. Then when Soto goes to pick up his check no one is there.
Love the Chia Pet hair on Soto in that interview.
99.9% chance you’re bald
Wrong. And you’re an easy mute.
No please don’t!!! I need to be involved in your big brain comments like “chia pet” hair
So the Mets are cheap by not offering the greatest amount? Will be fun to watch the narrative
Another team may have offered Soto more total dollars but I’m sure their deferrals would provide Soto less value than what the Mets had given him. The Mets can also negate Soto’s opt-out by bumping him his salary up each year by $4M from 2030-2039 to a total contract value of $805M with no deferrals.
He’s better off in Queens, and we’re better off in the Bronx with a better team
Lmao
Fake news. Spoiler alert, Mets were the highest.
What a crock….
Going from the Yankees to the Red Sox would’ve been the ultimate “heel turn” that’s a big fu to the Yankees if he signed with Boston. We’ll never see that now.
It’s a decent-sized heel turn to spurn the Yanks for their cross-town rivals. I’m pretty sure Soto is set to get booed for three games a year for awhile. At least that’s my assumption. Maybe Yankee fans can say differently.
Leaving the Yankees to sign with a ballclub on the Queens side of the Triborough Bridge is an LOL turn. Just like the headline to this article.
Almost happened with Bernie Williams. The rivalry isn’t the same any more so it wouldn’t be much of a “heel turn”.
Still blows my mind how this guy is considered more valuable than Shohei.
Soto can’t pitch, but he’s been one of the most consistent mashers in the sport since he made his debut. He’s also been able to stay healthy. Shohei can’t get through a full season without some kind of boo-boo.
So apparently 2021 & 2022 Shohei cease to exist.
@Jarred
Ohtani played in 159 games in 2024.
His “games played in” count for the past four years, in reverse chronological order: 159, 135, 157, 158.
He got a boo-boo in his pitching arm, but that is a far cry from not being able to stay healthy.
thickie,
He’s a few years younger, and those are prime years.
The salty responses from Yankees fans are rich. Had they signed him they wouldn’t be singing this “so glad we didn’t” tune.
Also, I doubt him accepting the 760m from them would impede their pursuit of the players they did pick up. If that were the case then they wouldn’t have offered him that money. I don’t see the Yankees resigning him and packing it in for the offseason.
Had they signed Soto, they assuredly wouldn’t have signed Fried and probably would’ve traded for a starter instead.
No fan is truly glad that their team didn’t sign the biggest free agents. They all get mad when the team cries poor. I sure as hell would’ve loved it if the Mariners actually did *something*!
Sfes: I think that’s a common misconception, but I don’t think it’s accurate. I believe Yankees fans are only “happy” Yankees didn’t sign him because of the owner’s obvious self-imposed cap. It would mean they’d have even more holes than we already do.
I can certainly see how it would seems sour, and I certainly wanted Soto back because he’s such a good hitter, but I also never foresaw the offers cresting $700mm either.
Nonetheless, I think it’s better stated that we would’ve loved Soto back, but not at the expense of all the other areas of weakness that needed to be addressed on the ballclub.
@clipper thank you for that very informed thought out response. I didn’t think he’d get more than Ohtani did, but here we are. Glad it’s not my money, and it is at least reassuring that Steve has been rebuilding the org from the ground up. I think he just wanted this player and wasn’t going to be outbid. If the Yankees had signed him however and instead traded for a pitcher as YBC said, who would even be available who’s as good as Fried? I guess I’m just used to George S. getting what he wanted and not being outbid.
Very true, Sfes, as are we. George certainly spoiled us, and we love him for it.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. A huge portion of the fanbase didn’t want to be locked into that contract because he only hits. I wasn’t one of them. But we all knew the Yankees would have done absolutely nothing else had he returned to the Bronx. That was the argument. But you go ahead and continue to live rent free.
“he only hits.”
The biggest part of a non-pitcher’s game, and he does it extremely well. “Only???”
Right, “he only hits” like Ted Williams and he’s 26.
Yes. He only hits. You guys can read.
That is all Ohtani has done since he signed with the Dodgers. Its all he will do for the Dodgers until at least June of this year. The way things are going it may be all he ever does.
3 SP have returned to put up an ERA under 4.00 and 20+ starts after a 2nd UCL related surgery. Out of 56.
I don’t really buy it. At one point (I think while still with the Padres), he said that the point of taking the biggest FA deal was to pave the way for the next guy (I didn’t really buy that either, but I get it). If there was more money, it must’ve been heavily deferred to be less than the present-day value of the Mets deal.
Rumor was out he missed the Yankees. Now all the photos of him laughing with teammates in spring training…now he took less money in Queens. Just pr spin regardless
As a Mets fan I’m just glad we got Soto instead of missing out on him and having to try for Vlad Jr. next off-season. I’d take the back end of Soto’s 15 years vs the 14 or whatever VJr is asking for every time.
Don’t count the Mets being in on Vlad, even after the Soto signing. With Cohen, they have the resources to do it.
Don’t count the Mets out being in on Vlad…
I get what you’re saying but even Steve has hinted that he wants to put on the breaks and lessen the “cohen tax.” Don’t get me wrong that would be a fun few years with Lindor, Soto, and Vlad hitting 1-2-3, but the back end of all those contracts… yikes. Though if it brings even a single flag during the duration of those contracts I’d be thrilled
I’m guessing it had to be the Blue Jays because i don’t see Henry offering over $765 million for anyone
“Had to be the Blue Jays”…I’m guessing it was the “mystery team” in Scott Boras’ imagination, that is always waiting in the wings with the “highest offer”.
It could be like the Bogaerts situation where Henry offered $10 million more AAV but 6 instead of 11 years.
True. I offered him $1B , to play for my beer league team, with all of it deferred till the year 3999, but he didn’t take it. Hey, if guy doesn’t want the money, I’ll spend it on other players like Big Sexy.
“I offered him $1B”…It’s crazy that Juan Soto turned down $1B to play in a low pressure beer league environment. He must be totally nuts.
Before you know it, we’ll have fat guys in Canada thinking they’re worth just a little “under $600M.”
Even in a contract like that you’d still owe him 507k/year. Wild what these guys make now
Spinning things after you get paid is the height of arrogance. Just take the money and go; no ones saying you didn’t get it fairly or honestly but leave the spin job at the door.
$5m (just over 0.5%) and he chose the mets over the Yankees. What a loser.
His family needs the money
One year less, so the AAV difference was $3.5M. Imagine if not understanding math made someone a loser…
I was clearly speaking total contract value and percentage. you changed to aav and numerical. Awesome comprehension skills.
Sour grapes. At least we didn’t soil ourselves vs the Dodgers. Soto got you there and Judge wet the bed.
Right, who eliminated the metros?
Yeah the Dodgers, point being we won a couple of games and our best player didn’t forget how to play.
There in lies the difference between the Mets and the Yankees.
Yankees and their fans are embarrassed for losing the WS. Mets and their fans celebrating losing the NLCS and justifying it because they won a couple of games. Lol. Cool story. Hang that division series banner next year.
The Yankees haven’t done much in years besides get embarrassed by the Astros, now the Dodgers. Let’s not act like they’re what they used to be. Seriously. Grow up buddy. A grown man crying that players are losers because they didn’t pick his team? Unless you’re 13 which would fit you right into the majority of posters.
The Yankees have not done anything but disappoint for about 15 years, no doubt. The Mets have done nothing since the late 1980s. There’s no crying, just a point that he chose $5m (a little over 0.5% of the contract value) to join a perpetual losing franchise. Winning clearly isn’t a priority for him – henceforth, he is a loser.
They’ve gotten as far as the Yankees have those last 15 years. And yeah we can tell Soto hurt your feelings. Let us know when you grow up. Your tears taste like honey.
I’m good with him leaving. Spread that around. Again – 0.5% contract value to join a team with a winning record in 5 of the last 15 seasons. He’s a loser. You’re a loser. He took the money – I don’t blame him – he’ll be a met (loser) for the rest of his career. It’s the truth no matter how much you tell yourself different.
Don’t be so sour that you root for one of the worst franchises in the history of the sport.
Your insecurity always wins out over your brain, doesn’t it?
Soto left the Yankees for the Mets for the difference between $760M and $765M? The Yankees would bid to $760 but not to $765? From all indicators, Soto had a good year in the Bronx, and hitting in the same lineup as Judge isn’t a bad thing. $5< difference is just weird at this price point unless Soto really wanted the Mets, and if that’s the case than all the teams the other teams, (including the mystery teams) never had much of a chance
Mike, $3.5M AAV difference.
Alex Cohen FTW. Steve will exhaust all resources.
I wonder if this has anything to do with the subtle shot Judge took at him about “players who want to be Yankees” are here or something like that (I forget his exact quote).
“The monkey is out of the bottle, man. Pandora doesn’t go back in the box, he only comes out”
He turned down the Cincinnati Reds offer of $800 million over 10 years because he had to have those 15 years, AAV be damned.
Rays offered him total control of the entire franchise, said nah I dont wanna play in MILB stadium for next year ir two.
“Could have got” more? Yeesh.
You forgot the Dodgers offered eleventy billion dollars to be paid in annual installments starting when the dark times start until the rise of the new ones is foretold.
A deferral joke. How original.
Small jokes now. Quality must increase over 15 years
Hey, at least the delivery was clever.
His could someday compete with Pujols’ as the record-worst contract from the team perspective.
No way. He’s way younger than Albert was when he signed on with the Angels.
Vlad Jr waves.
Obviously, we have no way of knowing for sure, but…I highly doubt that Stevie Cohen’s beautiful money was outbid by even one team, let alone multiple teams.
Are that many brain damaged teams ?
tenor.com/view/rich-money-daffy-space-jam-daffy-du…
I am a Mets fan he def signed with us because we gave him the most money, luxury box Suites for his family and friends, he knows NY and the Mets have some young pieces. It was the perfect fit but let’s be real Money Talks BS Walks
Poor Kansas City Royals they offered him 30 bucks.
BREAKING-Soto signed with METS because of Cohen’s wife
yea no way someone else offered 800mil or more
not boston, not toronto, not yankees not the mexican city diablos
not sure why soto has to pretend like mets didnt give him the best offer
Nice guys don’t hire Boras.
Mystery team?!
Yeah Right!
If it is never disclosed, then I and many others have a heard time believing that narrative.
No one believes this lie.