Soto set to sign reported £600m deal – biggest in history of sport

Juan Soto is set to sign what is reportedly the biggest contract in the history of sport after agreeing a $765m (£600m) deal over 15 years with Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.

Multiple sources in the United States have disclosed details of the deal, although the Mets have yet to confirm it because the 26-year-old Dominican needs to complete a medical.

Soto was set to be MLB’s most sought-after free agent this off-season having just had the best season of his career with the New York Yankees, again showcasing his elite ability to get on base.

He has the highest career on-base percentage among active players (0.421), only Yankees team-mate Aaron Judge had a better OBP in 2024 and only three players hit more home runs.

The MLB website said Soto would get a $75m signing bonus, with no deferred money, in a deal that could eventually be worth up to $800m (£627m).

The total value of the deal eclipses the $700m (£558m) 10-year contract that Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, with the Japanese star agreeing to defer $680m (£541m) of the amount.

Deferred-money deals are when players agree to be paid some of their cash after the time the contract covers, and are used frequently in American sports.

Soto’s new deal is understood to be the largest in professionals sports in total value.

Some of the other biggest include Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history in September by agreeing a four-year contract extension worth $240m (£183m).

In 2020, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year contract extension worth $450m, which has the highest overall value in the NFL. Prescott has the highest annual salary though.

In the NBA, the Boston Celtics have tied Jayson Tatum down to a new five-year deal worth a reported $314m (£245m).

And in football, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo has a contract with Al-Nassr until 2025 that is reportedly worth more than 200m euros (£176.5m) per year, while Lionel Messi’s deal at Inter Miami is reportedly worth up to $60m (£47m) a year.

Soto was a free agent after spending last season with the New York Yankees.

He helped them reach the 2024 World Series, which they lost 4-1 to the LA Dodgers.

The Yankees, according to the MLB, made a $760m (£595m) offer over 16 years to re-sign Soto but were outbid by the Mets.

Soto had a 0.288 batting average in 157 regular-season games last season, having hit a career-high 41 home runs and 109 runs batted in (RBI) – awarded every time you enable someone, including yourself, to score.

In the World Series he had a 0.313 batting average, with one home run and one RBI.

Soto played for the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres before joining the Yankees.

He helped the Nationals cause an upset in his first full season when they beat the Houston Astros to win the 2019 World Series.

Soto has played 936 regular-season games in all, scoring 201 home runs, registering 592 RBIs and having a 0.285 batting average.