Finally, the Devil’s Agent has begun to move. He is actively promoting Juan Soto (26), the best free agent in MLB this year.
U.S. media NBC Sports reported on the 8th (Korea Standard Time) that “Boras said, ‘It may exceed the all-time high amount of Shohei Soto Ohtani (LA Dodgers).”
In his seventh year in the big league, Soto has become a free agent this year. Having entered the big league 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 runs and an OPS of 0.953.
Soto has become a genius hitter. In 2019, he had 34 home runs and 110 RBIs, contributing to his team’s win in the World Series. In the following year, he ranked first in the batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS in the National League in his 60-game season. In 2021, he became the second most valuable player in the National League along with his first All-Star team. After moving to San Diego, he hit 35 home runs in the 2023 season, while using Petco Park, his home stadium that is advantageous for pitchers.
Soto continued his performance this year. During the 2024 season, he hit .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, 128 runs and an OPS of 0.989. For the first time in his career, he hit the 40-homer mark, and with his unique patience, he drew 129 walks, marking an on-base percentage of 0.419. He led his team to the World Series and was evaluated by the market.
Soto was almost all ranked first in this winter’s FA rankings selected by various places such as MLB.com , ESPN, CBS Sports, and Fox Sports. There are Corbin Burns and Blake Snell from Cy Young Awards, and Pete Alonso, who won the home run king, but none of them could overcome Soto’s stronghold.
Attention is also focusing on the size of Soto’s contract. Earlier, he made headlines by rejecting a 15-year, 440 million-dollar offer in 2022 when he was in Washington. At that time, Mike Trout’s 12-year, 430 million-dollar contract total was more than 400 million dollars in 2019. Since then, Ohtani’s 10-year, 700 million-dollar contract has become No. 1 ahead of this season. 메이저사이트
Soto also seems to be aiming at 700 million U.S. dollars. Given the value of the player himself, Ohtani, who is among the top players in both pitching and hitting, may be better. In terms of bat performance, however, Soto’s overall wRC+ (adjusted score productivity) is 158 and Ohtani’s is 153 (100 league average), while he has played for seven seasons the same. Soto is slightly ahead of Ohtani. Another strength of the team is that he is four years younger than Ohtani.
Boras even used the term “Mona Lisa at the Museum” to promote Soto. He likened her to a piece of artwork that will go down in history. Referring to legendary players such as Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Ted Williams, Boras said, “At the age of 26, only a few players have done as much as Soto. You can enjoy 15 more years of your prime.”
“Soto is aiming for Otani’s best contract ever,” Boras said. However, he declined to elaborate on the details of the amount, saying, “It is a matter for us to discuss with the club.” However, regarding the 10-year deferral (differential contract) that Otani will receive 680 million U.S. dollars, or 97 percent of the total 700 million dollars, from 2034, he shook his head, saying, “Soto and Otani have nothing to do with each other.”
For starters, the Yankees will also seek to catch Soto. However, as there are reports (New York Post) that at least 11 teams including the rival New York Mets are in the race after the end of the World Series, the contract size of Soto will likely become the biggest topic of conversation this winter.
