Juan Soto has reportedly agreed a 15-year deal worth $765m (€724m) with the New York Mets that will be the biggest contract in sporting history.
This package will exceed the decade-long terms signed by Shohei Ohtani with Los Angeles Dodgers last December, which was said to be worth $700m (€663m).
MLB.com reported on the record-breaking contract for Soto, with the free agent from the Dominican Republic, who spent last season with the New York Yankees, reportedly set to receive a $75m (€56m) signing-on fee.
Meanwhile, the Mets will also have the option to void an opt-out clause in the deal after the 2029 campaign if they boost the average annual value of the final 10 years of this contract from $51m (€48m) to $55m (€52m), which would make it a €762m US dollar package overall for Soto.
Soto helped the Yankees reached the 2024 World Series with a career-high 41 home runs, but turned down fresh terms from the New York-based club.
Instead, the 26-year-old batter/outfielder will move across the city to join the Mets.
There has been no formal announcement yet with MLB.com stating: "The deal, which the Mets have not confirmed because it's pending a physical, contains a 75 million US dollar signing bonus, an opt-out after five seasons and no deferred money."
Before Ohtani’s trade to the Dodgers in 2024, the previous record contract in the MLB was the $426.5m (€403m) the Los Angeles Angels paid to Mike Trout as part of a 12-year deal in 2019.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ 10-year 450m (€426m) extension, agreed in 2023, was the previous highest in the world.
