After his historic deal, Juan Soto has been on the news market’s radar. The lefty outfielder bagged a whopping $765 million for a 15-year promise at the New York Mets and will also go in the history books as the most expensive deal in professional sports history. But, with all the talking on the side, why are the Mets paying Soto so much?
The answer will be as interesting as the whole contract thing. For the most part, the credit goes to Soto’s track record. The Dominican Republic-born star has a five-time Silver Slugger award winner, a top-tier run-scorer, and a clutch performer in the biggest moments to his name. Not only that, his portfolio also includes a standout .313 batting average in the 2024 World Series.
At just 26 years old, Soto’s prime years are still ahead of him, and the Mets long for it. The team would definitely like to make the most out of his offensive strengths. Other than Soto’s accolades, it was MLB’s lack of a salary cap composition that paved the way for contracts of this magnitude.
The team is considered one of the league’s wealthiest teams, and they have all the money in the bank to get a long-term investment.
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Juan Soto And His Agent Are Optimistic About Future At Mets
The deal looks equally optimistic from Soto’s side as well. “The Mets is a great organization and what they have done in the past couple years, showing all the ability to keep winning, to keep growing a team, to try to grow a dynasty, is one of the most important things definitely,” Soto said during the Mets introductory press conference.
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“What you were seeing from the other side was unbelievable, and the bats and everything in the field and the future that this team has a lot to do with my decision,” he added during the conversation.
Additionally, Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, has expressed strong support for the New York Mets’ strategy following the monumental signing of his client to a record-breaking 15-year contract. In comments made on SportsNet New York, Boras applauded the Mets’ strategy for building a winning franchise.
“They are not limited to signing one great player but multiple great players,” Boras said.
Scott Boras says the Mets have made it very clear to him and his agency that they are not limited to signing only one great player, and will pursue multiple great players:
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) December 11, 2024
"They're going to be a very steady and heavy commitment to acquiring the best talent" pic.twitter.com/Hcm01pDieh
Boras’s remarks come at a pivotal time for the Mets. He also suggested that Soto’s signing could lead to further important acquisitions. Boras mentioned that the Mets are committed to attracting the best talent available.
It would be interesting to see the front office’s keen interest in bolstering the team’s performance. Rumors of additional targets, such as former Yankees pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga, have started brimming up since the record-breaking deal.
