Juan Soto is set to sign what is reportedly the biggest contract in the history of sport after agreeing a $765m (£600m) deal over 15 years with Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.
Multiple sources in the United States have disclosed details of the deal, although the Mets have yet to confirm it because the 26-year-old Dominican needs to complete a medical.
The MLB website said, external Soto would get a $75m signing bonus, with no deferred money, in a deal that could eventually be worth up to $800m (£627m).
The total value of the deal eclipses the $700m (£558m) 10-year contract that Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, with the Japanese star agreeing to defer $680m (£541m) of the amount.
Deferred-money deals are when players agree to be paid some of their cash after the time the contract covers, and are used frequently in American sports., external
Soto’s new deal is understood to be the largest in professionals sports in total value.
Some of the other biggest include Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history in September by reportedly agreeing a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $240m (£183m).
In 2020, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year contract extension worth $450m, which at the time was the biggest contract in NFL history.
In the NBA, the Boston Celtics have tied Jayson Tatum down to a new five-year deal worth a reported $314m (£245m).
And in football, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo has a contract with Al-Nassr until 2025 that is reportedly worth more than 200m euros (£176.5m) per year, while Lionel Messi’s deal at Inter Miami is reportedly worth up to $60m a year.
