Juan Soto’s record-breaking Mets deal is causing a stir in the baseball world: NPR

In his only year as a New York Yankee, Juan Soto hit 41 home runs in the regular season and added four more in the playoffs. Now he’s traveling across town to play for the Mets.

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Sarah Stier/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

DALLAS – At baseball’s annual winter meetings in Dallas, the only manager who was reticent in his compliments about superstar Juan Soto was the one leading his new team, if reports are to be believed.

When asked about his offseason, New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza smiled. “It’s going well. “It’s going really well,” he told the crowd of reporters. “There’s a lot to like when you see a player worth that much money.”

Over the last 24 hours, reports of a blockbuster $765 million deal to bring Soto, one of the sport’s best young hitters, to the Mets for 15 years dominated the baseball world.

As of Monday evening, the Mets still had not publicly confirmed the move. But the eye-popping contract is worth even more than the then-record $700 million deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers last year the two-faced Japanese star Shohei Ohtani. And landing with the Mets meant Soto had denied his current team, the New York Yankees, a route from the Bronx to Queens.

“He’s a great player,” said Dave Martinez, who managed Soto during his 4½ seasons with the Washington Nationals. “As we all know, he’s going to help the Mets. I’m proud of him.”

A star since his first MLB start

From the start of his major league career Born in the Dominican Republic, Soto was a star. In his first start as a 19-year-old with the Nationals, he hit a home run in his first appearance at the plate. With his easy smile and “Soto Shuffle,” his trademark dance around the plate, he quickly became a fan favorite. He won a World Series title with the team in 2019, the first in franchise history.

In 2022, he was traded to the San Diego Padres, who then traded him to the New York Yankees before the 2024 season.

With a one-year contract in New York, Soto had the best year of his young career, hitting 41 home runs in the regular season and another four in the playoffs during the Yankees’ unsuccessful bid for the World Series. He received the third-most votes in the American League MVP race. Since his debut in 2018, he has won a total of five Silver Slugger Awards and four All-Star Game appearances.

It’s rare for a player of his caliber to hit the open market at such a young age – at 26, he may not have reached the peak of his abilities yet.

Soto stood out from other young talents from the start, Martinez said. “The ball comes off the bat differently. The way he approached the shot was very different than a lot of kids I’ve seen,” he said.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do when he’s 40, but I know what he’s going to do on Opening Day,” Martinez added. “The Mets have a really good player and a great person, so I’m really happy for him.”

For Padres manager Mike Shildt, who worked with Soto during his two seasons in San Diego, Soto’s enormous contract was a sign of baseball’s health and standing in the entertainment world.

Shildt compared the annual value of Soto’s contract – $51 million per year – to that of TV personality Judge Judy. who reportedly earned $47 million a year in the 2010s.

“$47 million a year, and I don’t think she could throw a really good curveball or hit a good slider. And she earned far more than anyone – before Juan – in our industry,” Shildt said. “So good for him. I’m happy for him.”