Juan Soto’s Potential Free Agency: Could He Outshine Shohei Ohtani’s $700M Contract?

This article is compiled from Could Juan Soto Beat Shohei Ohtani’s $700M Contract? Everything you need to know about superstar free agency

Is there anyone better off than Juan Soto right now? Relying on Sunday’s key home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series to help the Yankees advance, the Yankees outfielder will play on October 25 (October 26, Taiwan time). birthday to play in his second career World Series. Over the next few months, Soto will likely win his second World Series ring, become a free agent for the first time, and finally sign one of the contracts richest in sports history. Don’t forget that he has also provided a career resume that has a good chance of entering the Hall of Fame.

We ask again: Is there anyone better off than Soto? It might just be you, reader, if you click on this article to learn about Soto’s upcoming free agency moves.

We get it: If you’re a Yankees fan, it’s probably too early to think about what’s to come. But most teams have finished their seasons and are waiting for the offseason to begin. So we thought it was worth previewing some of the biggest themes of the season. With that in mind, here are some things to note about Soto’s upcoming free agency.

1. Who is Soto’s most likely suitor?

It is reasonable to assume that the line of suitors for Soto will begin in New York. The Yankees and Mets, two teams in the bottom three, are expected to be at the top of the race for Soto. Both New York teams have Scrooge McDuck-level financial resources and the opportunity to remain competitive in big markets for many years.

Outside of New York, the teams most commonly associated with Soto are the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals.

The Giants are reshaping their front office, firing CEO Farhan Zaidi and reassigning general manager Pete Putila. Giants legend Buster Posey now heads the team’s baseball operations department. Unfortunately, the Giants often failed in these big money pursuits. They tried to sign Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge, but all failed.

The Nationals, meanwhile, are Soto’s old club. They once offered him a 15-year, $440 million contract, which showed they were willing to invest heavily to keep him. But eventually he was traded to the San Diego Padres. The Nationals continue to grow, with many talented young players and few long-term financial commitments. This combination makes them a team to watch.

What about more than that? Dark horse teams worth mentioning include the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Padres.

2. How big could Soto’s deal be?

In addition to the question “where will Soto go?”, the next question is “how much will the contract amount be?” Earlier, we asked several members of the team’s HQ to weigh in on this. As expected, their answers varied.

The estimates from two sources are very close: one estimates it to be US$520 million in 2011, and the other estimates it to be US$540 million in 2012. A third source joked, “He’ll be $1 million more than Shohei Ohtani.” Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract last winter that included significant deferred payments, giving the contract a current value of about $437 million, according to Cot Contracts. That number helps explain why another source expected Soto’s deal to be $432 million over 12 years, as that would put it close to Ohtani’s price tag. There are many more different speculations.

The thing to remember about questions like this: these are just measurements. A number of factors can cause the final deal rate to be higher than everyone’s expectations. Including: a good agent (Soto’s agent is Scott Boras); With these favorable factors, we had better continue to push the prospects up.

3. How special is Soto’s free market?

CBS Sports will release its annual free ratings later this fall. When we launch – and this is the launch – Soto will be number one. Here is part of what we explain: