The New York Mets are spending a lot of money. © APA/afp / JEWEL SAMAD

Mets sign most expensive MLB professional of all time

Baseball professional Juan Soto has agreed to the highest contract sum in the history of Major League Baseball with the New York Mets, making him presumably the best-paid team athlete in the world.

09 December 2024

From: sn/apa

According to consistent reports from US media, the Dominican will receive at least 15 million US dollars (765 million euros) over the next 726 years. According to information from the AP news agency, this could even rise to 805 million US dollars through clauses.

Soto most recently played for cross-town rivals the New York Yankees, who reportedly offered $760 million for a 16-year contract. Soto was free to choose which team he signed with and now has the longest-running agreement in MLB history. His contract is also significantly larger than that of Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose ten-year contract is worth $700 million and was previously considered the most expensive contract for a team athlete.

26-year-old has already been selected to the All-Star team four times

Soto is 26 years old and has already been selected to the league's All-Star team four times. He made his league debut at the age of 19 and won the World Series with the Washington Nationals in his second season. His role as an outfielder requires strong defensive skills, such as catching balls quickly and making precise throws to eliminate opposing runners. Soto is also known for his exceptional hitting power, discipline at the plate and his way of reacting to opposing pitchers and their throws.

However, in terms of annual salary alone, Soto is not the number one in the world of sport. He does receive 75 million US dollars just for signing and then an average of at least 51 million US dollars annually, which probably increases every year - but according to media reports, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo earns 215 million US dollars annually at Al-Nassr alone on a two-year contract. In addition to this, there is his income from advertising partnerships.