Juan Soto is set to sign what is reportedly the biggest contract in sporting history after agreeing a $765m (£600m) deal over 15 years with Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.
Multiple sources in the United States have revealed the details of the deal, although the Mets have yet to confirm it because the 26-year-old Dominican needs to undergo a medical.
This is reported by the MLB website, external Soto will receive a $75m signing bonus with no deferred money in a deal that could ultimately be worth up to $800m (£627m).
The total value of the deal surpasses the $700m (£558m) 10-year contract Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, with the Japanese star agreeing to defer $680m (£541m) of the sum.
Deferred cash deals are where players agree to receive a portion of their cash after a contractually agreed time period. and are often used in American sports., external
Soto’s new deal is believed to be the largest in professional sports by total value.
Some of the other largest include Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the highest-paid player in NFL history in September, reportedly agreeing to a four-year contract reportedly worth $240m (£183m).
In 2020, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450 million contract, at the time the largest contract in NFL history.
In the NBA, the Boston Celtics signed a new five-year contract with Jayson Tatum costing $314m (£245m).
And in football – Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo has a contract with Al Nassr until 2025, reportedly worth more than €200m (£176.5m) a year, while Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami deal is reportedly worth up to $60m in year
