Juan Soto is heading to the other side of New York. Soto is leaving the Yankees and joining the Mets on a massive 15-year contract worth $765 million, reports the New York Post. That reportedly includes an opt out after five seasons, a $75 million signing bonus and no deferrals, all combining to make him the highest-paid player in MLB history. The team has not yet confirmed the deal.
The Mets beat out an aggressive and desperate Yankees team to sign Soto. Other clubs were involved in the bidding, including the Red Sox, the Blue Jays and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Yankees were the fiercest competition.
The Yankees made a 16-year, $760 million offer for Soto, per the New York Post, but it did not get a deal done. The Mets — for now (and likely for the rest of the winter) the biggest winners of the offseason — met Soto’s and agent Scott Boras’ asking price, sold him on the team’s future, and convinced him to leave the Bronx for Queens.
Soto, 26, joined the Yankees in a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres last offseason and had a brilliant year in pinstripes, slashing .288/.419/.569 with a career high 41 home runs and a career high 7.9 WAR. He walked more than he struck out for the fifth consecutive season, and also put up a .327/.469/.633 line with four homers in 14 postseason games.
After teaming up with AL MVP Aaron Judge to form the game’s most devastating offensive duo since at least David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, Soto will now join NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor at Citi Field. Lindor slashed .279/.344/.500 with 33 homers and 29 stolen bases in addition to stellar shortstop defense in 2024. The Mets now move forward with two perennial MVP candidates.
The Mets will now shift to other offseason business, and reinforce the team around Lindor and Soto. Pete Alonso is a free agent and must be re-signed or replaced. Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, and Luis Severino ranked 1-2-3 on the team in innings in 2024; Manaea and Quintana are free agents, and Severino recently signed a three-year deal with the Athletics. The Mets have recently added some starting pitching in Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes. The Mets also need to strengthen their bullpen and their bench, two things lead executive David Stearns excels at.
Between Soto, Starling Marte, and Brandon Nimmo, the Mets have three corner outfielders for two corner outfield spots, though the DH spot is open, and all three will likely cycle through. Marte has battled injuries the last few years and slotting him in at DH may be the best way to keep him on the field. Three players for two spots isn’t a problem. It’s just something the Mets have to work out.
The Mets went 75-87 in 2023 and things went so poorly they sold at the trade deadline. They then rebounded to go 89-73 in 2024, including an MLB-best 65-38 after June 2, and made a spirited run to the NLCS. The Mets were eliminated by the Dodgers in six games. Now they’re banking on Soto taking them even further in 2025, and beyond.
