Posted date: December 9, 2024, 05:56.
Last updated: 09 Dec 2024 02:09h.
The Juan Soto Stakes is over. Late Sunday night, on the eve of Major League Baseball’s winter meetings, it was announced that the right fielder had agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest in MLB history, with the New York Mets.
Slugger Juan Soto has signed a record-breaking 15-year contract with the New York Mets worth $765 million. (Image: Getty).
Yankees narrowly lost
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Soto’s former team, the New York Yankees, paid $760 million over 16 years to acquire Soto, a star right fielder who hit .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and a .989 OPS (on base + extra base hits) last season. It is said that he made a bid for. .
The Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox are also reportedly participating in bids for the free agent.
Over the past few weeks, no matter which team submits the highest bid, it has been surpassed by Mets owner Steve Cohen (founder of Point72 Asset Management), the hedge fund manager who bought the Mets for $2.4 billion in 2020. There were reports that it would. .
Cohen Oud Soto
soto contract reportedly has features such as opt-outs, signing bonuses, and no deferred payments.
According to a report from athletic, Metz and Soto met in November at one of Cohen’s homes in California. It was different from Soto’s meetings with other clubs, which were held at hotels.
A separate request from the Mets was Cohen’s request, league officials said. During the meeting, Cohen talked about his career, relationships, and what led to his success. ”
Furthermore, The Athletic reported that “Soto’s interactions with the Mets had something in common.” [the team’s] In previous meetings with high-profile free agents, some of Cohen’s personality was injected into the process. ”
Cohen told free agents in past meetings that he “considers ownership a civic duty,” and that he has been involved in baseball “for a long time,” according to a person briefed on the discussions. “To build eternal winners,” he said.
Adjusted betting odds
The impact of Soto’s contract on MLB odds was immediate. Monday morning on BetMGM, the Mets were the favorite to win the World Series behind the Los Angeles Dodgers at +700 (the Dodgers are +350), followed by the Atlanta Braves (+800), Yankees (+900) and Philadelphia. . Phillies (+1200).
“Juan Soto going to the Mets would significantly increase their chances of winning the World Series. A move from +1200 to +700 is a big deal for one player, but if Steve Cohen and the Mets He seems to be giving it his all and shows that he will continue to add pieces to his team,” said Hal Egeland, trading strategy manager at BetMGM.
For Blue Jays fans, this is another bitter pill to swallow after missing out on the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes last winter, when Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
Blue Jays lose again
Blue Jays All-Star slugger Vladimir Guerrero has one more year of team control and could become a free agent if the Jays don’t lock him down. The same goes for shortstop Bo Bichette. Both Guerrero and Bichette are homegrown talents and are the cornerstones of what should have been a championship-worthy team.
That was not the case in Toronto, where the team finished in last place in the American League East with 74 wins and 88 losses. Adding to Toronto’s woes is the ranked minor league system. bottom third of the leaguethere were holes in the bullpen, outfield, third base, and starting pitching to fill heading into the new season.
The Jays currently have Guerrero under contract.
Guerrero hit 30 home runs last season, hitting .323 with 103 RBIs and a .940 OPS. Signing Soto would give Guerrero a boost financially.
The Jays are +6600 to win the World Series at BetMGM.
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