The Mets made free agent Juan Soto their main offseason target, eager to convince the 26-year-old star why he should choose them over the Yankees and every other interested team.
And that's exactly what Soto did.
Soto, one of the most sought-after free agents in MLB history, is bolting the Bronx for Queens, according to SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino.
The superstar slugger is reportedly signing a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets. Soto has an opt-out after five seasons, according to Martino.
And on the opt-out, the Mets can void the slugger via a $4 million raise of the average annual value of the contract for the remaining 10 years giving the contract a maximum value of $805 million, per multiple reports.
The deal includes a $75 million signing bonus and does not include any deferred money, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon.
In addition to the New York teams, the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Dodgers were among those interested in Soto, who took meetings with a host of clubs earlier this offseason in California.
The Yankees' bid to retain the outfielder was reportedly $760 million over 16 years. According to Martino, the Yanks were in the lead for Soto all through the process, until Steve Cohen was able to close the deal late on Sunday.
Never before in their history have the Mets signed a free agent of Soto's pedigree and potential. They re-signed Mike Piazza after trading for him in 1998, signed Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran ahead of the 2005 season, and recently inked future first-ballot Hall-of-Famers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. But Soto, one of the top hitters in baseball and in his prime, stands alone when it comes to the enormity of his ability, his age, and how his presence could shape the future of the franchise.
The Mets' union with Soto — powered by Cohen's checkbook, David Stearns' savvy, and the bright future that seems to be set up in Queens — makes all the sense in the world.
Soto landing with the Mets was something you could see coming as far back as last offseason when New York had a relatively tepid approach except for a failed chase of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
With the Mets in tremendous shape salary cap-wise in 2025 and beyond and with their up-and-coming farm system starting to churn out big league regulars, they are set up well to take on Soto's enormous salary and lengthy deal.
Soto will join Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez, Edwin Diaz, and Kodai Senga as part of the core of a team that hopes to take the next step this coming season following a run to the NLCS in 2024.
