The top free agent of the 2024 offseason has agreed to the largest free agent contract in MLB history.

After a fantastic 2024 season with the Yankees, Juan Soto is heading from the Bronx to Queens after agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets on Sunday, sources told MLB’s Mark Feinsand. com with.

The contract is the largest and longest the sport has ever seen. Soto’s pact exceeds the $700 million deal signed by Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani in December 2023.

It’s a contract fit for the game’s best hitter, and Soto is arguably that too. He just completed his age-25 season and already has 201 home runs, five Silver Slugger Awards and one batting title (2020). In 4,088 career plate appearances, Soto owned a slash line of .285/.421/.532. His on-base percentage is the best among active major league players.

In 2024, Soto was an MVP finalist for the second time in his career; He finished third in the American League MVP voting, three years after finishing second in the NL voting with the Nationals. He hit a career-best 41 homers last season, led the junior circuit with 128 runs scored and recorded 8.1 fWAR, fourth-best in MLB. He also provided one of the most exciting moments of the postseason when he hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning of ALCS Game 5, helping propel the Yankees to their first pennant since 2009.

He will now try to bring the Mets to equal heights. When will the Mets and Yankees renew their rivalry in 2025, with Soto at the helm? Their next game is Friday night, May 16th at Yankee Stadium.

2024: 157 G, .288 BA, .419 OBP, .569 SLG, .988 OPS, 41 HR, 109 RBIs, 8.1 fWAR
Career: 936 G, .285 BA, .421 OBP, .532 SLG, .953 OPS, 201 HR, 592 RBIs, 36.3 fWAR

Here’s a breakdown of this massive move from all angles, from MLB.com experts:

What this means for the Mets
via Mets beat reporter Anthony DiComo

Since Steve Cohen purchased the Mets in 2020, he has worked to make the franchise the envy of Major League Baseball – a team that can be competitive not just on the field, but for all of the sport’s most notable players. On Sunday, Cohen proved for the first time that he is capable of doing so.

The Mets, who were never serious candidates to sign Ohtani last offseason because of Ohtani’s personal preferences, pursued Soto aggressively from the start. They had two things going for them in particular: Cohen’s seemingly bottomless wealth of money and his willingness to spend it – not just on Soto, but on additional players to ensure a competitive roster for years to come. Cohen, who had record payroll during his time as owner, has a stated goal of winning a World Series as quickly as possible. Because of this, he has no desire to stop spending until he achieves it.

For the Mets, Soto appears to be playing right field, pushing Tyrone Taylor to center, while Brandon Nimmo plays left. Soto can also slot into the top third of the Mets lineup alongside shortstops Francisco Lindor and Nimmo.

It remains to be seen whether the Mets will now try to bring back Pete Alonso as a free agent. Their main concern on the roster is rotation, where the Mets need to contribute to a mix currently led by Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Frankie Montas.

What this means for the Yankees
on Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch

Had Soto agreed to stay, he and Aaron Judge could have continued to operate as one of the league’s most dynamic one-two punches at the top of the order. Instead, Soto, now dressed in orange and blue, becomes the most recognizable star of a Mets team that was two wins shy of reaching the World Series.

The Yankees were prepared to navigate more financial hardship than ever before, hoping to continue the relationship that had helped their club reach the World Series for the first time in 15 years. But as days turned into weeks and several clubs showed strong interest in Soto, the Yankees realized they couldn’t be caught flat-footed.

Quietly, members of the front office began devising a Plan B and exploring alternative options, such as conducting virtual calls with free-agent pitchers Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. Both hurlers could now move to the top of their wish list, along with the rest of a free-agent class that includes first basemen Alonso or Christian Walker, outfielders Teoscar Hernández or Anthony Santander, closer Tanner Scott or a potential trade for them could be Cody Bellinger of the Cubs.

The Yanks’ shopping list includes at least a first baseman, another infielder (possibly a second baseman unless Jazz Chisholm Jr. moves there), two outfielders, rotation help and relief arms.

Effects on the hot stove
Mark Feinsand reported on Senior National

Soto’s monster deal will certainly have an impact on the rest of the free agent market, and not just when it comes to outfielders.

How will the Yankees react after losing their superstar slugger? Their needs include a starting pitcher (Fried? Burnes?), a third baseman (Nolan Arenado? Alex Bregman?) and a relief pitcher (Scott?), not to mention a replacement for Soto in right field (Hernández?). GM Brian Cashman has much more payroll flexibility after losing Soto, who would have made nearly $50 million per year in payroll if he returned.

Hernández and Santander are likely to be popular names in the rumor mill this week as the runners-up look to switch to Plan B. In addition to the Yankees, the Red Sox and Blue Jays are also said to be interested in one or both of these outfielders, so watch for their markets to heat up.

After completing the largest deal in baseball history for Soto, agent Scott Boras will now turn his attention to his other big-name free agent clients, including Burnes, Bregman, Alonso and Sean Manaea, all of whom represent options for clubs could have missed Soto.

Dive deep
via analyst Mike Petriello

Let’s put the money aside for a minute – so much money, albeit only about 4.2 times what Willy Adames just got, which makes it seem like it’s not that much at all – and let’s focus on the player. The Mets just hired a virtually certain Hall of Famer. He’s almost guaranteed to hit 500 home runs. No one in history has ever taken more walks in their age-25 season, making Soto a borderline unparalleled combination of youth, speed and patience, and that’s no exaggeration; His age-adjusted OBP is third-best at 25, behind Ted Williams and Frank Thomas.

The point is, there are hardly enough words to describe the level of batting dominance we’re seeing here. How about a 99th percentile hard hit rate, a 98th percentile chase rate, and a 94th percentile bat speed? What else is there at a certain point? “He’s an evolution of Starling Marte” seems completely inadequate; This is a generationally great hitter who is still younger than JJ Bleday and 2024 rookie Tyler Fitzgerald.

You’ll hear that Soto isn’t a strong defender – aside from the surprise 2024 Gold Glove nomination – and that’s mostly true, as evidenced by his above-average minus-5 outs. But he’s hardly Schwarber-esque in the outfield, and you can live with subpar but adequate defense for the next five years until the inevitable move to first base or DH comes. After all, it’s not like anyone ever wrote sonnets about what Williams was like on the field. When you’re on your way to becoming something like one of the top 10 hitters of all time, complaining about the defense seems completely misguided. The Mets only improved by seven wins with this move alone.

Knowing statistics
Via MLB.com Research Staff

160: This is Soto’s career OPS+. That ranks eighth in MLB history among players in their age-25 season (minimum 3,000 PA). The seven names before Soto are either inducted into Cooperstown or are on their way to future enshrinement: Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout, Jimmie Foxx, Albert Pujols, Tris Speaker and Rogers Hornsby.