Juan Soto Rumors: $750M Contract Possible for Yankees FA, Top Ohtani's Dodgers Deal

The initial offseason estimates for Juan Soto may have been dramatically underestimating how much he was going to make in free agency.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney and Jeff Passan, there's a "possibility" that Soto's next contract could end up in the range of $750 million over 15 years.

Passan also noted Soto could end up accepting a deal with some deferred money.

A $750 million contract would surpass Shohei Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers from last offseason as the richest in all of professional sports.

The projection for Soto's contract were already astronomical. MLB Trade Rumors predicted a 13-year, $600 million deal for the 26-year-old superstar at the start of free agency.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected the same number of years but was slightly higher in total value at $611 million.

Even a 13-year, $611 million deal with no deferred money would surpass Ohtani's contract in terms of net present value. Ohtani structured his deal so that $680 million is deferred until after the contract expires, bringing the total net present-day value down to around $460 million.

The $47 million average annual salary in a 13-year, $611 million contract would also make Soto the highest-paid player in MLB. Ohtani's net present value is $46.1 million annually.

Deferred money has become a huge talking point in MLB, particularly because of how the Dodgers have been able to take advantage of it. They have nearly $1 billion in deferred payments with their contracts for six different players.

Deferred money allows teams to lower the present-day value of a contract, giving them more flexibility under the competitive balance tax. Even after signing Snell and extending Tommy Edman, the Dodgers' 2025 estimated CBT payroll is $308.3 million.

It's the highest projected CBT payroll in MLB, but it's not dramatically higher than the Philadelphia Phillies in second place at $279.9 million. The New York Yankees, in third place at $244.6 million, would almost certainly surpass them if they can bring back Soto.

There could be a resolution to Soto's free agency sooner than later. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported on Tuesday there's a possibility the four-time All-Star could make his decision by the end of this week.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Evan Drellich and Brendan Kuty, all of the remaining suitors for Soto have made him offers worth more than $600 million. The teams known to have the most interest in his services include the Yankees, Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays.

Soto has been one of the best hitters in MLB since making his debut as a 19-year-old for the Washington Nationals in 2018. He owns a .285/.421/.532 slash line with more walks (769) than strikeouts (696) in 4,088 plate appearances in seven seasons.

As a member of the Yankees last season, Soto hit .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 homers in 157 games. He finished third in AL MVP voting, behind teammate Aaron Judge and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.