On Sunday night, outfielder Juan Soto agreed to join the New York Mets on a historic contract. It's worth $765 million over 15 years, making him the highest-paid MLB player in history.
Per reports, though, there's a world in which the contract could go beyond the $800-million mark. According to Jorge Castillo, and confirmed by several other MLB reporters, if the Mets want to void Soto's ability to opt out of the contract after 2029, they must increase his salary from $51 to $55 million every year after 2029.
That would bring the total contract value to $805 million — an astonishingly high number.
It's no wonder Soto and his family were celebrating big-time after the contract was agreed upon.
Soto's contract already beat Shohei Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million deal signed last offseason. Ohtani's contract is also heavily deferred well beyond the life of the playing part of the contract, Soto's is not. He'll get paid more, and get it sooner.
The star outfielder received other competitive offers, including a reported $760 million over 16 years from the New York Yankees, his incumbent team.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Juan Soto's Historic Contract Has Clause to Push Above $800 Million.
