Genius hitter Juan Soto (26) is finally about to enter the Major League Baseball (MLB) free agent market. Perhaps, he could pass Shohei Ohtani’s contract.
The U.S. media New York Post reported on the 1st (Korea Standard Time) that “Soto is aiming for a total of $700 million, which will be the best contract ever in Major League Baseball.”
Soto is the best seller in the free agent market this year. Having made his Major League debut with the Washington Nationals at the age of 20 in 2018, he joined the New York Yankees through trade this season after playing for the San Diego Padres. In 936 games, he has a batting average of 0.285 (934 hits in 3,280 at-bats), 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 655 runs scored, and an on-base percentage of 0.421, 0.532 slugging percentage and 0.953 OPS.
After stepping on the big league stage at an early age, Soto showed rapid growth. In 2019, his second year, he had 34 home runs and 110 RBIs, contributing to his team’s World Series victory. In the following year, he topped the National League in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS in a 60-game season. In 2021, he became the second MVP of the National League along with his first All Star. After moving to San Diego, he hit 35 home runs while using Petco Park, his home ground, which is advantageous for pitchers.
He had a batting average of 0.288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, 128 runs and OPS of 0.989 this season. He hit the 40-homer mark for the first time in his career, and with his unique patience, he drew 129 walks and displayed an on-base percentage of 0.419. As he is still 26 years old, he is expected to play for a longer time.
Earlier, Soto made headlines when he rejected Washington’s offer of 440 million U.S. dollars for 15 years in 2022. At that time, Mike Trout’s 12-year contract worth more than 400 million dollars was only 430 million dollars in 2019. However, Ohtani signed a 10-year, 700 million-dollar contract with the Dodgers ahead of this season in the Major League. 스포츠토토
Given the value of the player himself, Ohtani, who is among the top players in both pitching and hitting, may be better. However, in terms of bat performance, while playing for seven seasons this season, Soto’s overall wRC+ (adjusted score productivity) is 158 and Ohtani’s is 153 (100 is the league average). Soto has the upper hand even slightly. Another strength is that he is four years younger than Ohtani.
The media also predicted that Soto’s estimated amount is more than 700 million dollars. “This is a definite 700 million dollars, and it is not a deferred payment (differential contract) like Ohtani,” he said. Ohtani will receive 680 million dollars, or 97 percent of the total, for 10 years from 2034. “His annual salary is estimated to be close to 3 million dollars, not 70 million dollars,” the New York Post said.
The New York Post claimed, “In two hours after the Yankees’ World Series defeat, eight teams showed interest in recruiting Soto, and there were rumors that it increased to 11 teams on the 1st.” The media, which said, “There is talk of $700 million even before the FA market begins,” said, “Considering Soto, who wants to play until his 40s, if he gets at least a 14-year contract and $700 million, he will be the first player in history to receive $50 million a year without a suspension of payment.”
Some even suggested that Soto should be given $700 million. Third baseman Jazz Chisome Jr. claimed, “Give Soto a big deal! I think we need to renew our contract for $700 million.” Giancarlo Stanton also said, “He should stay with the team. He will stay with us,” and added, “Our team needs to win, and we need to save Soto for that.”
