The Juan Soto saga is officially over. The four-time All-Star and 2019 World Series champion is sticking in New York — but with the Mets. Juan Soto will reportedly sign a 15-year deal, $765MM with the Mets, giving the Amazins’ a generational slugger to add to their potent lineup.
A Look at Soto
There’s not a lot of break down with Juan Soto‘s game, offensively. Soto is just that good.
The 26-year-old outfielder put up a career-high 41 home runs, scored a career-high 128 runs, and worked in perfect harmony with AL MVP winner Aaron Judge. Soto’s signature moment came in the 2024 ALCS, when he hit the game-winning home run in Game 5 to send the Yankees to the World Series.
Soto is a near-perfect hitter by all standards. The 26-year-old possesses a Barry Bonds-like eye, allowing him to work counts with ease. He’s never had a BB% lower than 16.0%, and Soto’s 18.1% BB% last season was over two times the MLB average (8.4%).
That eye helped Soto earn a career .421 OBP, 19th-best in MLB history. It puts him along the likes of Joe Jackson and Mickey Mantle and only Mike Trout (.410) comes close among active players.
Soto’s .926 OPS between 2022-24 is fourth-best in MLB (min. 1,250 PA), behind Yordan Alvarez (.988), Shohei Ohtani (.990), and Aaron Judge (1.107).
Mechanically, Soto can do it all. Between his plus balance that allows him to generate power with his lower half and ability to take the ball to all fields, there’s very few comparable to him, even if Soto’s yet to win a NL MVP to this point.
Defensively, this is where things get complicated. Soto has average — at best — range in the outfield, as well as fringe-average arm strength. He played in right field last season because of the hitter-friendly environment in Yankee Stadium. However, he’s a left field for virtually every other team.
However, the route to Queens for Soto has been a two-plus year saga. It started in 2022 when Soto turned down a 14-year, $440MM extension from the Nationals, which put in motion Washington’s intention to trade him. The Nats sent him to San Diego in 2022, only for the Padres to ship him out to The Bronx with free agency looming.
Per reports, the Mets are giving Juan Soto a 15-year, $765MM deal, the largest in pro sports history and surpasses what Ohtani received last winter in terms of total value. The agreement reportedly has no deferred money, and Soto will get an opt-out after the fifth season of the deal.
Analysis
There are a couple of key takeaways from the Soto signing.
The biggest takeaway from this deal is that the Mets now have a perfect #2 hitter to complement their core. New York (NL) took off last summer when Francisco Lindor shifted to the leadoff spot, while Brandon Nimmo moved down in the lineup.
As of right now, it would make sense for the Mets to go Lindor, Soto, Mark Vientos, and Brandon Nimmo as their top four. It would balanced from a left-right bat standpoint, keep their top two starts protected, and keeps their best two bats at the top, with Vientos — who broke out in 2024 and has plus pop — and Nimmo to keep the ball rolling.
That’s a strong top four for a Mets team that finished sixth in home runs (2017) and ninth in OPS (.734) in 2024.
Now, one might argue why would the Mets choose Soto over Pete Alonso, assuming the latter doesn’t return to New York? Soto actually had a better SLG (.516) than Alonso (.493) over the last three seasons and at 26, should age better than the “Polar Bear.” Alonso turned 30 this month.
Second, Soto doesn’t go to the Dodgers or Phillies, two of New York’s chief rivals, and now both teams will have to deal with the 26-year-old sensation.
The Phillies will need to figure out their backup plan, now that Soto and Willy Adames (RECAP) are off the board. Philadelphia was reportedly interested in him back in November but according to reports, never made an offer.
Los Angeles already pulled their plan out, as Michael Conforto signed with the Dodgers on December 8, about an hour before the news of Soto’s signing broke.
Soto’s signing continues a busy offseason for the Mets. New York (NL) previously signed Frankie Montas (RECAP) and Clay Holmes (RECAP) to fill out their rotation.