Who is Juan Soto? And why is he paid so much?
Juan Soto's contract includes a $75m (£58.7m) signing bonus
- Published
The most expensive deal in professional sports history has been signed and sealed. It comes in at £600m - and ties down a player for 15 years.
But what's the background to the news Juan Soto - one of the biggest stars of Major League Baseball (MLB) - has landed this bumper contract?
Who is Juan Soto?
Baseball superfan or not, the numbers in the Soto story probably caused your jaw to drop.
The Dominican outfielder has just signed a deal to join the New York Mets that is understood to be the largest ever in professional sport.
By the time the contract ends in 2039, Soto will be 41 years old.
And his £600m deal beats the previous record - Shohei Ohtani's 10-year contract at the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023, which was worth £557m.
Soto first signed for an MLB team in 2018, when he joined the Washington Nationals. He struck 22 home runs in the first of his five seasons there before moving on to the San Diego Padres, then the New York Yankees.
How good is he?
"I didn't expect it. I was blown away".
That's how the Mets owner Steve Cohen described the moment, external he received a call from the agent who was negotiating Soto's contract as it came close to completion.
It shows the excitement in the Mets camp at securing a player with big batting averages and accolades to his name.
In the 2024 season, playing for the Yankees, Soto was the second highest run scorer, external (128) of any player in the MLB. Only three players hit more home runs than him.
That same season, his batting average (the measure of a player's successful hits) in the MLB was 0.288 - the 16th highest.
Even more impressive was his performance in the World Series - a contest between the champions of the American League and National League - the two leagues that make up the MLB.
Soto's batting average was 0.313 - the second highest in the series., external
Soto has also won five consecutive Silver Slugger awards., external The award is given to the best offensive player at each position, as voted by Major League managers and coaches.
Why was the move controversial?
"The vibes, the feel and the future of this team had a lot to do with my decision."
That was how Soto explained his move - but it cut no ice with some Yankees fans on the other side of New York City.
The rivalry goes back to when they would meet in exhibition games, before the MLB brought together the National League (NL) and American League (AL).
The Mets belong to the NL, while the Yankees are part of the AL.
Some Yankees fans feel scorned by Soto's move - even burning his jerseys., external
According to the MLB, the Yankees had made a £595m offer to keep him.
Why was Soto offered so much money?
Soto's contract had expired at the end of the 2024 season. He therefore went into the off-season as a free agent - prompting a bidding war between MLB franchises.
Players become 'free agents' when they have completed six years in the Major League,, external or when they are released by their club.
Four other MLB franchises reportedly expressed interest in Soto: the Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox.
Soto's high-value contract reflects the combination of his star talent, and free agency - and the fight for his services pushed up the price tag.
Soto was a free agent after playing for the New York Yankees last season
Why do baseball players get paid so much?
MLB teams secure revenue through a combination of ticket sales, broadcast deals, sponsorship and merchandise.
The teams have money to spend. According to Forbes, the average MLB team is now worth $2.4bn (£1.89bn)., external In 2024, the Yankees were valued at $7.55bn (£5.95bn).
The league also has no salary cap. That sets it apart from the other US professional leagues - the NFL, NBA and NHL - which limit the amount each team can spend on wages.
However, the MLB does operate what's called a 'competitive balance tax', external, which means clubs who go over a payroll threshold are taxed on the amount above that. For 2024, that threshold was $237m ($187m).
With all this talk of multi-million-dollar contracts, you might expect baseball players to regularly pop up in Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes. Yet of the 50 top-paid athletes, external, there are only two: Ohtani and Max Scherzer.
That is because the top-line value in baseball is driven by the length of contract. In Soto's case, we know what he will earn over 15 years - but that doesn't make it the highest annually.
For example, Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer in the world - earning an annual salary of £177m from Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr.
That's more than double the salary of Lionel Messi, who plays for MLS side Inter Miami. His deal is reportedly worth up to £47m a year.
Soto's, meanwhile, is worth £40m a year.
Why are baseball contracts so long?
Long contracts aren't uncommon in MLB. Players such as Ohtani, Bryce Harper and Mookie Betts are all on contracts exceeding 10 years.
These contracts are used to lock in players, making them unavailable for other franchises.
Longer contracts can also be used to spread the cost, which can help teams stay under the 'competitive balance tax' threshold.
But long contracts also come with a risk that a player's performance and fitness could deteriorate as they age.