Thirteen experts polled by The Post predict, on average, that Yankees slugging superstar Juan Soto will land a record $520.09 million contract.
Expert predictions (agents not connected to Soto’s rep, BorasCorp) range from “[Mike] Trout’s contract” ($426M) to $600M.
The predictions were as follows (some included years, which precede the money here):
- $540-$550 million
- 14 years, $550 million
- 10 years, 550 million
- 12 years, $600 million
- 10 years, $500 million
- 12 years, $480 million
- 13 years, $520 million
- $450-$500 million
- $500-$550 million
- $550-million plus
- $500 million
- “Trout’s contract (12 years, $426.5 million)”
- “Definitely more in present-day value than (Shohei) Ohtani’s $437.4 million”
- “A lot of cake”
I took the average of guesses that are ranges, and didn’t estimate any figure for “more than [Ohtani]” or “a lot of cake.”
Beyond being an all-time great hitter, Soto’s other major advantage is he’s 25, which means about four or five more of the best years than the average free-agent star.
Ohtani’s $700M deal (with $680M deferred) is still relevant, as is Aaron Judge’s $360M deal, but those superstars were about 30 upon signing.
Alex Rodriguez at 25 doubled the highest contract in North American sports back in 2000 ($252M to $126M for Kevin Garnett).
One other contract to consider is the $325M Dodgers deal (plus $50.6M posting fee) for Japanese import Yoshinobu Yamamoto, also 25. Soto himself turned down $440M over 15 years from his original Nationals.
A couple of agents suggested they believe the Yankees would prefer to limit Soto’s annual salary to Judge’s $40M, though Soto will be 4 ¹/₂ years younger for free agency, and it’s unlikely the win-obsessed Judge minds being the second-highest paid Yankee. (I don’t believe that’s the case, anyway.)
Beyond his $550M-plus guess, one agent added: “If the Yankees and Mets get into a pissing match, the sky’s the limit.”
