New York Yankees superstar outfielder Juan Soto will be the most sought-after free agent this offseason.
Soto completed a one-year $31 million deal with the Yankees that he got in arbitration. The soon-to-be-26-year-old is one of the best players in the MLB and he should get a hefty contract in free agency.
It’s expected that the Yankees and New York Mets will both be after his services. According to Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic, Soto is looking to break Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking $700 million deal.
“Multiple people told The Athletic this spring they believe Soto’s camp is after Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking deal,” Ghiroli reported. “Ohtani’s contract included 97 percent deferrals, but still put his present-day average annual value at roughly $43.78 million, or closer to $46 million when calculated for luxury tax purposes.”
Juan Soto reacts after hitting three-run home run
David Dermer-Imagn Images
Ghiroli reported that Soto could surpass Ohtani if he defers money like he did. But, the star outfielder’s AAV could end up being higher than Ohtani’s as he’s focused on resetting the market even more.
“Soto, making $31 million in his final arbitration year, could easily eclipse both those numbers and set a new record, though Ohtani’s overall number of $700 million still seems like a pipe dream unless Soto is willing to accept heavy deferrals. (It’s worth noting that it’s not unheard of for Scott Boras clients to accept heavy deferrals. Soto’s former teammate Max Scherzer signed a seven-year, $210 million deal before the 2015 season that had record deferrals at the time.)”
Soto played in 157 regular season games with the Yankees in 2024, slashing .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs and 109 RBI.
