Dominican star Juan Soto has agreed to join the New York Mets in the American Major League Baseball (MLB) in a record deal worth $765 million for 15 years, according to what several media outlets reported on Sunday.
ESPN and the official MLS website revealed this deal, which, if confirmed, will be the most expensive in the history of professional sports in North America.
The 26-year-old became a free agent after playing for the New York Yankees last season, who were hoping to re-sign the Dominican star.
This deal exceeds the value of the $700 million, 10-year contract that the Los Angeles Dodgers signed with Japanese star Shohei Otani last year.
ESPN reported that Soto’s contract with the Mets could eventually reach more than $800 million if certain criteria are met.
Soto’s potential destination has been in the headlines since the Yankees’ 4-1 defeat by the Dodgers in the World Series final in October.
The Yankees tried hard to re-sign Soto, who hit 41 home runs and made a total of 166 strikes last season.
But the Yankees were not the only ones pursuing Soto, as the player’s representatives also met with the Mets and Boston Red Sox, among other teams, to discuss a possible deal.
The Mets will be the fourth team in the MLS League during the career of Soto, who caught the attention during his first full season in 2019, as he helped the Washington Nationals achieve the surprise and win the title at the expense of the Houston Astros.
He turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer to stay with the Nationals in 2022, which led to him being traded to the San Diego Padres in August of that year.
But Soto did not settle in San Diego and returned to the East Coast in December 2023 in a trade that took him to the Yankees.
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