Shohei Ohtani Rumors: Mets Will Help Star Be Best-Paid Player in 'History of Sports'

The New York Mets are expected to pursue Shohei Ohtani in free agency next offseason, which could lead to a record-breaking contract for the two-way star, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

"The Mets will make Ohtani the best-paid player in the history of sports—whether he plays for the Mets or not—because the offer will be insane," a person in the Mets organization told Heyman. "And if someone else wants to beat it, go ahead."

Ohtani has been one of baseball's most exciting players in recent years, winning the AL MVP award in 2021 before finishing as a runner-up to Aaron Judge last season. He finished 2022 with a .273 average, 34 home runs and 95 RBI at the plate, and he was even better on the mound with a 15-9 record, 2.33 ERA and league-high 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

He finished fourth in Cy Young voting.

As both an elite hitter and pitcher, Ohtani's next contract has been the subject of plenty of speculation.

One executive projected a 12-year, $480 million deal, while others believe he could crack $500 million in total value, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.

Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout currently holds the MLB record with his $426.5 million deal over 12 years, while NFL star Patrick Mahomes leads all North American athletes with his 10-year, $450 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. The quarterback's deal was only guaranteed for $141.5 million, while any MLB deal at this level would be fully guaranteed.

There are a limited number of MLB teams that could afford this type of deal for Ohtani, but the Mets showed this offseason they are willing to spend.

Owner Steve Cohen helped shift the market with free-agent additions Justin Verlander, José Quintana and Kodai Senga while re-signing Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Díaz. New York also agreed to a 12-year, $315 million deal with Carlos Correa before it fell through because of medical concerns.

Even without Correa, the Mets have by far the highest projected payroll in the majors for 2023 at over $329 million, per Spotrac.

Adding Ohtani would be the biggest splash yet for the organization as it seeks its first World Series title since 1986.

New York would not be guaranteed to land the 28-year-old, but the team's presence in a bidding war would certainly drive up the price for other organizations. No matter what happens, Ohtani would come out as the big winner.