Outfielder Juan Soto signed the largest deal in professional sports history, agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.
That comes out to $51 million a year. But wait, there’s more. If the Dominican superstar decides not to opt out after five years, his salary increases $4 million per season to $55 million, meaning the total value of the deal could surpass $800 million.
Let’s put that into perspective:
- Soto’s contract alone is worth at least half the entire value of a dozen major league teams, per Forbes 2024 valuations.
- It’s nearly 80% of the $1 billion valuation of the Miami Marlins, the least valuable franchise in baseball.
- Five NHL teams per Forbes’ 2023 valuation were worth about the same or less than Soto’s contract.
- The deal well exceeds the $500 million valuation Forbes placed on the Arizona Coyotes last year. (Ryan Smith bought the NHL team in April for $1.2 billion and moved it to Utah.)
- In 2012, the San Diego Padres sold for $800 million.
The $756 million agreement is $4 million more than the combined career earnings of Tom Brady and LeBron James, two of the greatest players of all time in their respective sports. Soto’s annual income approaches the $62 million the Oakland A’s paid its entire roster last season.
Who makes more than Juan Soto?
Soto’s guaranteed contract exceeds the 10-year, $700 million deal two-way star Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While 97% of Ohtani’s salary will be deferred for 10 years, Soto’s deal contains no deferred money, lifting the net present value of his deal well above Ohtani’s, per ESPN.
As a side note, the Mets are the same team that bought out the remaining $5.9 million on Bobby Bonilla’s contract in 2000, ESPN reported. But instead of paying the outfielder that sum at the time, the team agreed to make annual payments of nearly $1.2 million for 25 years starting in 2011, including a negotiated 8% interest. Bonilla, now 61, will collect on the contract through 2035.
Though Soto signed the biggest overall deal ever, his annual salary is not in the same stratosphere as the highest paid athletes per year in the world — soccer players.
Saudi Arabia-based club Al Nassr reportedly paid Portuguese attacker Cristiano Ronaldo $215 million in 2023. Another Saudi Arabian team, Al-Ittihad, pays French striker Karim Benzema $223.6 million a year. Argentine forward Lionel Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, made $169.5 million in his last year with FC Barcelona in 2021.
Others who make more per season than Soto include F-1 driver Max Verstappen ($55 million), Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum ($62.8 million) and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow ($55 million).
Big money deals
Here’s a list of the richest sports contracts:
Juan Soto, New York Mets, 2025-2039 — $765 million.
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2024-2033 — $700 million.
Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona, 2017-2021 — $674 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr, 2023-2025 — $536 million
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, 2020-2031 — $450 million.