Posted on 12/08/2024 9:36:18 PM PST by nickcarraway
What a Juan-der-ful holiday season it will be for the Mets. In a move that will reverberate through not just MLB, but the entire worldwide sports landscape, Juan Soto agreed to a record 15-year contract worth $765 million with the Mets on Sunday, according to sources, to usher in the Winter Meetings.
The deal eclipses the $700 million contract over 10 years (which included significant deferrals) that Shohei Ohtani received from the Dodgers last winter. MLB valued that deal at $460 million in present-day value because of the deferrals.
SNIP
The Yankees pushed hard to re-sign Soto, with managing partner Hal Steinbrenner raising his offer to 16 years and $760 million – more than double what the team gave Judge in free agency (nine years, $360 million) before the 2023 season. Ultimately it was Steve Cohen’s offer that won out, allowing the Mets owner to make a tsunami of a splash for a fan base that has long been frustrated by life in the Yankees’ shadow.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Whoa
Ridiculous. How does the average fan continue to identify with these enormously compensated players and wealthy owners. Baseball was once America’s passion because people played it as youths and closely identified with the players. Suspect MLB will be broke in fifteen years.
It was a better world when professional athletes had to get jobs in the off-season.
Base-a-ball been berry berry goot to may …
Doesn’t matter
Dodgers in 5 games over the Mets and will now sweep the Yankees in 2025
Yup! Absurd! Does the mlb get U.S. gift subsidies?
There are limits to what teams can pay. Even the Yankees. Considering what the Yankees are paying certain players (Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole), another contract of comparable size would leave the team hard pressed to fill out the roster with complementary players.
An example of this reality is when Kevin Durant took a pay cut to sign with the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. Durant wanted a championship ring more than the money.
Durant got his ring, actually two, and currently has one of the most lucrative contracts in the league. While he remains a freak of a player, his current team, the Phoenix Suns, got tossed out, ignominiously, in the first round of the playoffs last year.
Another aspect of “Moneyball” (or, bottom line management of pro teams) is combining (A) big contracts with select players, with (B) minimum contracts with players without the number of years of experience needed to go free agent, and with (C) mid-size contracts for complementary players.
another “Bobby Bonilla” day participant
BTTT
15 years is absurd...
Sorry, but no left fielder is worth that much money.
Unlike Judge and Cashman, Soto is smart enough to realize that the Yankees will never win a World series while Boone is the manager.
How incredibly dumb...Mets are on the hook for 15 years, and they will be lucky to get 5 good years out of Soto.
These ridiculous salaries are inflationary. Baseball is so not worth it.
MLB is first and foremost a league for physical freaks of nature. That being: itchers.
“Position players”, with notable exceptions, are consigned to play bit parts in the familiar MLB drama.
Yikes! I am glad my Nats traded him when they could. Although he will be back to persecute us! lol!
Lol...”P”itchers!
Not belly itchers.
Quote: “ Dodgers in 5 games over the Mets and will now sweep the Yankees in 2025”
Sweep the Yankees in the WS? You think the Yankees are ever getting close?!?! They won’t make the playoffs. With Cashman in charge in his “job for life” they are done.
When contracts went to 2 and 3 year deals...it tended to work. Once you got to a 6 or 8 year deal....more than half of them are crap in the end.
Lets not forget the 2020 8-year deal with Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.