Dec 8, 2024, 10:32 PM ET
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Juan Soto is getting paid.
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The 26-year-old outfielder signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. It has no deferrals and includes escalators that can reach above $800 million. The whopping deal is $65 million more than the one Shohei Ohtani agreed to last offseason with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the average annual value of Soto's deal is $51 million, the second-largest in MLB history, trailing only Ohtani's $70 million per year, per ESPN Research.
Soto joins a Mets clubhouse that already includes four-time All-Star Francisco Lindor, bolstering a side that fell short to the Dodgers in the NLCS -- the same team that defeated Soto and the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Here's how Soto's contract stacks up with others throughout sports.
MLB
Juan Soto agreed to the largest deal in professional sports history with the New York Mets. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Juan Soto, New York Mets: 15 years, $765 million
One of the more hyped free agents this century, the market for Soto reached heights never seen before in professional sports. His 15-year deal marks the most years on a contract in MLB history, surpassing Fernando Tatis Jr.'s 14-year contract signed with the San Diego Padres in 2021. Soto is coming off a season where he hit a career-high 41 home runs to go alongside 109 RBIs with the New York Yankees.
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers: 10 years, $700 million
Year signed: 2023
Entering free agency, Ohtani's market ranged from $500 to $600 million. The Dodgers hit it out of the park with their offer for arguably baseball's best player. Ohtani will not pitch in the upcoming season because of an elbow injury, but will likely be in the mix to make the playoffs for the first time in his career.
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels: 12 years, $426.5 million
Year signed: 2019
Trout has been either the best player in baseball or close to it for the better part of a decade, and the Angels rewarded him accordingly. At the time he signed this deal, it was the richest contract in professional American sports. Though he's been hampered by injuries, he played 453 games (and counting) and won the 2019 MVP since the signing.
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers: 12 years, $365 million
Year signed: 2021
The Dodgers secured Betts until the 2030s shortly after acquiring him in a trade from the Boston Red Sox. He's had two top-five MVP finishes and a World Series win since then.
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 9 years, $360 million
Year signed: 2022
The Yankees ensured their 6-foot-7 MVP slugger remained in pinstripes after he mashed an American League-record 62 homers while hitting .311/.425/.686 with an AL-leading 131 RBIs in 2022.
Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 10 years, $341 million
Year signed: 2021
The Mets signed Lindor to this monster deal shortly before Opening Day 2021, and though he had a disappointing performance that season, he rebounded nicely in 2022 as the team won 101 games. Lindor hit a home run in the postseason, but the Mets fell to the Padres 2-1 in their National League wild-card series.
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres: 14 years, $340 million
Year signed: 2021
Tatis had a huge season after signing his contract, hitting a league-leading 42 home runs and putting up 6.6 WAR in 2021. Injuries and a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs caused him to miss the entirety of the 2022 campaign, however.
NFL (by practical guaranteed money)
Dak Prescott's contract extension with the Cowboys makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history. Nick Cammett/Getty Images
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: 4 years, $240 million (96.25% of total contract)
Year signed: 2024
Prescott had the second-best year of his NFL career last season, where he threw 4,516 passing yards for a career-high completion percentage of 69.5. His deal comes with $231 million in guaranteed money.
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: 4 years, $220 million (77.5% of total contract)
Year signed: 2024
Love is coming off his best year in the NFL, leading the Packers to a 9-8 record while throwing 32 touchdowns in his first full year as a starter. His new deal includes $155 million on new guarantees.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 years, $275 million (72.7% of total contract)
Year signed: 2024
Lawrence led the Jaguars to an 8-8 record in the 2023 season and threw for 21 touchdowns, the second most of his career so far. His contract has $200 million guaranteed.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: 5 years, $275 million (79.6% of total contract)
Year signed: 2023
Burrow led the Bengals to a 12-4 record in 2022-23. He threw for 35 touchdowns to go with 12 interceptions, passed for 4475 yards and completed 68.3% of his passes along the way. His contract has $219 million guaranteed.
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers: 5 years, $170 million (72.1% of total contract)
Year signed: 2023
Bosa earned the Defensive Player of the Year award, his first All-Pro selection and third Pro Bowl berth by posting a league-leading 18.5 sacks, 51 tackles, two forced fumbles and 58 quarterback pressures (third in the NFL) the season prior to signing his big deal.
Read more: Source: 49ers, Bosa reach 5-yr., $170M extension
His contract includes 122.5 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. His brother, Joey Bosa, holds the No.2 spot among highest paid defenders (by total guaranteed money) with a $102 million contract.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers: 5 years, $262.5 million (83.3% of total contract)
Year signed: 2023
Herbert was selected with the sixth overall pick in 2020, and in the 2022 season, he led the Chargers to their first playoff appearance in four years.
Read more: Chargers, Justin Herbert agree to 5-year, $262.5M deal
His 14,089 passing yards and 1,316 career passes are the most through a quarterback's first three NFL seasons. He was slated to play on the fourth year of his rookie deal for $4.23 million. Instead, his average annual salary jumped up to $52.5 million, the highest in NFL history.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: 5 years, $260 million (71.1% of total contract)
Year signed: 2023
Jackson was the second unanimous selection as NFL MVP in his first full season. He represented himself in contract negotiations, which went on for 27 months.
Read more: Jackson's new Ravens deal includes $185M guaranteed
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: 5 years, $255 million (70.3% of total contract)
Year signed: 2023
Hurts, who led the Eagles to a Super Bowl LVII berth, threw for 3,701 yards with 22 touchdowns and rushed for 760 yards and 13 scores.
He was lined up to play the final year of his rookie deal, which included a base salary of $4.2 million. His extension, which includes the first no-trade clause in franchise history, will be about $51 million per year.
Read more: Numbers to know from Jalen Hurts' record $255M extension
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns: 5 years, $230 million (100% of total contract)
Year signed: 2022
Watson's contract is one of the largest in NFL history, but his tenure with the Browns has been marred by an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy by committing sexual assault, as defined by the league. He threw for 7 touchdowns against 5 interceptions in six 2022 starts.
NBA
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum hoists the Larry O'Brien trophy during the Celtics 2024 championship parade. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: 5 years, $314 million
The first player to earn $70 million in a single season, Tatum has 2,711 career playoff points, the most by a player age 26 or younger in NBA history, according to ESPN Research. He averaged 25 points per game during the Celtics' championship run in 2024.
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: 5 years, $304 million
Year signed: 2023
Brown averaged 23.0 points per game last season and alongside Tatum helped lead the Celtics to their 18th NBA championship.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: 5 years, $272 million
Year signed: 2022
The reigning NBA MVP, Jokic signed a max extension with the Nuggets in 2022 that, until Brown's deal, was the largest contract in NBA history.
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards: 5 years, $251 million
Year signed: 2022
After declining an option to become a free agent in 2022, Beal signed a max contract to remain with the Wizards for the next five seasons. His time in Washington under the extension proved short-lived, however, as he was dealt to the Phoenix Suns last offseason.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: 5 years, $228.2 million
Year signed: 2021
At the time, this was the largest contract in NBA history, but it was well worth it for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo led them to a title and was named Finals MVP in 2020-21. He's only gotten better since then and averaged over 30 points per game in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career.
NHL
Leon Draisaitl signed an eight-year $112 million extension with the Edmonton Oilers. Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers: 8 years, $112 million
Year signed: 2024
Fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, the Oilers are keeping their star center in Edmonton. Draisaitl tallied 106 points last season -- his fifth campaign in six years to surpass the century mark. The one season in that stretch Draisaitl didn't accumulate over 100 points was the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign.
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators: 14 years, $110 million
Year signed: 2012
This is a bit of an odd situation -- despite a distinguished career and five years remaining on his lengthy contract, Weber has been plagued by injuries and hasn't played since the 2020-21 season. It's quite possible that he'll never play in the NHL again.
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins: 12 years, $104.4 million
Year signed: 2013
Sid the Kid won't be a free agent until his age-38 season, but he's still producing for the Penguins. He was 10th in the league in points in 2021-22 and ended 2022-23 in 16th.
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers: 8 years, $100 million
Year signed: 2018
McDavid hasn't led the Oilers to a Stanley Cup win yet, falling short to the Florida Panthers in 2024. But, he's one of just two players to unanimously win the Hart Memorial Trophy, doing so in 2021. The other unanimous winner? Wayne Gretzky.