Juan Soto Seeking “Ohtani-Size” Deal Following 2024 Season
Juan Soto is currently playing for the Yankees. However, it will require a massive contract for him to stay in the Bronx after this season. The 25-year-old slugger is reportedly seeking a deal with an AAV on par with what Shohei Ohtani landed with the Dodgers. For context, when you add in the $68 million per year deferred on the 10 year/$700 million megadeal, the AAV there is a hair over $46 million per season. We already know that any potential contract for Soto will start with $500 million. However, with both New York teams and potentially even more in the race for his signature, this is only the beginning of a saga that will end with another monster agreement.
Many Yankees fans would probably give Soto a blank check for how he’s done through his first six games. To say he has changed this team and this lineup is a vast understatement. Heading into Houston against their furious rivals, he dominated. The former National and Padre went 9-17 from the plate with a home run and four RBIs. Even more surprising was his defensive play in right field. He made a couple of pretty sliding catches and even clinched the first game of a four-game sweep with a stunning throw to home plate:
He has since cooled down against the Arizona Diamondbacks but the point still stands. Soto played with no fear against a team that sends shivers down the spines of every Yankees fan. They called on his number a lot and so far, he’s delivered every time. Through six games, he sports a .417/.517/.583 slash line with a whopping 226 OPS+. If this is a sign of things to come then an AL MVP trophy could very well be in his future.
Walk Year Magic?
There are a lot of players who are free agents next year for the Yankees. Juan Soto is clearly the biggest name of the lot. If he is looking for some inspiration on what to do, he should look no further than to the man batting behind him in Aaron Judge . Two years ago, he put together arguably the greatest walk year in pro sports history. With an AL-Record 62 homers, and decimal places away from a Triple Crown, #99 won the 2022 MVP Award. Brian Cashman had no choice but to reward him with a staggering 9-year, $360 million extension.
Along with the previous largest position player contract, the Bronx Bombers also shelled out the then-largest pitching contract in the sport with Gerrit Cole . If you want to get paid the big bucks, Soto is in the right place for now. He needs to just go out there, stay healthy, and do his thing. Because if Hal Steinbrenner decides to pinch pennies when it matters, there is a team out there that won’t. My initial prediction used to be a 13 year/$598 million deal (exactly $46 million AAV) but it appears that it could end up being even more.
One way or another, Juan Soto is going to get one of the largest deals in baseball history. He clearly knows his worth, as his comparison is that of Shohei Ohtani.
