The baseball world will be abuzz with the looming free agency of one of the game’s brightest starts. As the top free agent this offseason, Tim Britton of The Athletic projects Juan Soto is poised to ink a massive payday. Soto’s upcoming free agency could result in a record-breaking contract exceeding $560 million over 14 years. His production is elite and he’s younger than most other prominent free agents.
Historic Contract Looms for Juan Soto
Soto, 26, will hit free agency at the same age when Manny Machado, Bryce Harper and Jason Heyward entered the market. Soto’s performance this season has set him up for a historic free agency. Like Aaron Judge, Soto has peaked at the right time, but his youth and talent make him a singular talent in the market. This rare combination could surpass anything baseball hasn’t seen in free agency.
Britton added that Soto was coming off a pair of lesser seasons, but had good production. He even compares Soto’s potential deal to last year’s big free agent.
Shohei Ohtani‘s recent 10-year $700 million contract has set new benchmarks for total compensation and average annual value. Both players’ production is fairly similar, but Britton believes Soto has a few advantages over Ohtani. Soto will likely set a new record for total value in a contract, eclipsing Ohtani’s $437.8 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“He’s younger by three years. He’s not nursing an injury, and none of his value is tied to the inherently risky practice of pitching. A 10-year, $440 million deal for Soto could thus be his floor.”
If Soto seeks the megadeal that takes him to around age 40, he may need to compromise on the AAV. Britton suggests that a 14-year deal, similar to those of Judge and Machado, would push the total value beyond $600 million at Ohtani’s record AAV.
Main Photo: © kamil krzaczynski-usa today sports
