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There is still a way Shohei Ohtani’s contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers can outrank Juan Soto’s with the New York Mets — as presently reported, with the deal yet to be formally signed and approved — as the most lucrative in baseball history.
In five years, we will learn whether or not Soto has exercised the opt-out clause in his 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets. Multiple outlets with the details of Soto’s contract, including USA Today, report that Soto opting out triggers yet another clause in the contract.
More news: After Juan Soto Signs With Mets, What’s Next for Yankees?
If Soto opts out, the Mets can effectively void that by increasing Soto’s annual salary from 2030-39 by $4 million, keeping him under contract for the full 15 years.
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Soto’s average annual salary over the first five years of the contract is $44 million, then jumps to $51 million from Year 6 onward — $55 million if Soto opts out and the Mets counter by increasing his salary.
More news: Why Juan Soto Chose the Mets: Former GM Sets Record Straight
It’s a unique contract structure, with no deferred money and a huge upfront signing bonus of $75 million. That adds up to an outlay of more than $119 million in 2025, as noted by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, who first reported the agreement Sunday night:
Juan Soto contract details: $765M, 15 years. $75M signing bonus (state tax advantage: Florida resident). about $120M overall pay 2025. No deferred $. Opt out after 5 years (age 30). Citi Field suite for family (est. value $500K plus plus a year) #mets
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 9, 2024
Soto will earn $305 million from 2025-29, when he’ll have to decide whether or not to opt out. That’s the minimum guarantee in his contract as reported. It averages out to $61 million annually — a record for AAV, but not for total contract value if he opts out.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com broke down how that will work via Twitter/X:
Soto will earn a total of $305 million during the first five years of his Mets deal: $220M in salary and a $75M signing bonus, per source. That’s an AAV of $61M. He can opt out after 2029 unless the Mets raise his AAV over the final 10 years from $51M to $55M.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 9, 2024
In effect, Soto’s future earnings can follow one of three possible paths:
- He doesn’t opt out of his current contract after the 2029 season, effectively locking him in to a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets — a record for both total contract value and average annual value.
- He does opt out of his contract in 2029, and the Mets choose not to void Soto’s opt-out, making him a free agent. In this case, Soto’s current deal will top out at five years and $305 million. Ohtani’s deal with the Dodgers would stand as the record for total value — but not average annual value, by virtue of the deferred money ($68 million a year) in Ohtani’s contract.
- Soto does opt out of his contract in 2029, and the Mets void the opt-out by exercising their right to increase his salary. If so, they would pay Soto a record $805 million over the life of the deal — a record for both total contract value and average annual value.
The upshot: we won’t know until after the 2029 season whose contract is actually the largest in baseball history in terms of total value. Of course, if Soto opts out and the Mets don’t counter by increasing his salary from 2030-39, it’s most likely because Soto believes he can earn even more money than $805 million over the next 15 years.
Even if Soto’s first contract with the Mets doesn’t set the record for total value by itself, it’s nearly certain that his next two contracts combined will.
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