After years of successful stints with many franchises, Juan Soto has finally found his long-term home, thanks to a record-breaking contract from the New York Mets. On Sunday night, Soto and the Mets agreed to a 15-year deal worth $765 million — the largest contract in sports history. This deal not only makes Soto the highest-paid player in baseball but also sets a new benchmark for player compensation, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s previous record of a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers. Soto’s contract, with an annual average value of $51 million, is unmatched in MLB, and unlike Ohtani’s, it’s free from deferred payments.

This move also marks the end of Soto’s short tenure with the Yankees, after playing just one season in the Bronx, which included a World Series appearance. Despite the Yankees offering Soto a 16-year, $760 million deal, with a slightly lower average annual value of $47.5 million, it was the Mets who made the most decisive offer. Now, unless Soto opts out of the deal after 2029, he’ll be a fixture in Queens through his early 40s.

At 26, Soto has been one of the most sought-after stars in baseball. Despite his relatively short career, he has already played in two World Series and three League Championship Series, giving him ample experience on the game’s biggest stages. His overall career postseason performance is strong, with a .281 batting average, a .927 OPS, 11 home runs and 30 RBI in 43 playoff games. 

Soto’s career regular-season stats are just as impressive. His .421 career on-base percentage leads all active players, and his .953 OPS ranks first in the National League among active players. He’s also won a Batting Title and five Silver Slugger awards in his seven-year career.

Soto’s journey, however, has been anything but straightforward. After leading the Washington Nationals to a World Series championship in 2019, he was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022 as part of a rebuild for the Nationals. In San Diego, Soto helped the Padres reach the 2022 NLCS, but after a lackluster 2023 season, the Padres faced financial constraints and traded Soto once again, this time to the Yankees. The move was part of a series of decisions by the Padres and Yankees, both of whom were eliminated by the eventual World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the postseason.

Even after the Yankees acquired Soto, he made it clear after the season that he would consider offers from any team. For the Yankees, the pursuit of Soto marks the end of an era in which they were willing to outspend everyone to build a championship contender. They signed reigning MVP Aaron Judge to a nine-year, $360 million deal two years ago, and Judge’s success — winning his second MVP award this season — has validated that investment. However, Soto’s new deal is more than double the value of Judge’s.

Now, with the Mets’ 15-year commitment, Soto seems poised to spend the majority of his career in Queens. The contract not only secures his future but also signals the Mets’ intentions to continue their aggressive pursuit of championships, backed by the financial firepower of owner Steve Cohen.