DALLAS — The Mets are the winners of the Juan Soto sweepstakes.
The outfielder chose the Mets out of the many big-moneyed suiters, coming to terms with the Amazins’ on a 15-year, $765 million contract on Sunday, one night before the start of baseball’s annual winter meetings. The largest contract in professional sports history, it’s a monumental signing for the 26-year-old Dominican and for the club.
With the addition of Soto, the Mets are set up to contend for titles for years to come. He’ll join a core group of players already on multi-year contracts that includes Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Kodai Senga and Edwin Diaz. The pitching staff is still being built out for the 2025 season with the Mets recently adding former Yankees pitchers Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes, but Soto lends some cache to the Mets as they continue to add talent for next year and beyond.
A generational hitter often compared to Ted Williams, Soto is the type of free agent the team never would have pursued in the past. Instead, the Yankees of yesteryear would have thrown money at him while the Mets shopped in the bargain bins, always living in the shadows of big brother in the Bronx. But the shadows have shifted and it’s the Mets who cast the bigger one now.
Soto spent last season with the Yankees, helping them win their first AL pennant since 2009. He was acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres for exactly that reason a year ago during a winter meetings blockbuster. The Yankees pursued him just as doggedly as the Mets, but Cohen’s deep pockets and the Mets’ recent success under president of baseball operations David Stearns ultimately won Soto over.
A seven-year veteran who broke into the league at only 19 years old, Soto owns a career slashline of .285/.421/.532. His on-base percentage leads all active players and he’s only the fourth player to draw at least 700 walks through their age-26 season. A World Series chamo at only 20 and a batting champ at only 21, Soto is an accomplished player who knows how to win.
There are few holes in his offensive game. His at-bats are theatrical with his signature “Soto shuffle” and his ability to frustrate Cy Young-caliber pitchers. Statcast had him in the 98th percentile or higher in most offensive categories last season, which is par for the course for the perennial MVP candidate.
A left-handed hitter, he hit .288 with a .989 OPS and a career-best 41 home runs with the Yankees last season, finishing third in AL MVP voting. He typically bats second, which gives the Mets a dominant 1-2 punch at the top of the order with Francisco Lindor hitting leadoff.
There is, however, one weakness in his game. Despite being named a Gold Glove finalist, Soto’s outfield defense rates poorly. Better in right field than in left, last year his minus-5 outs above average ranked 38th out of 44 right fielders and his minus-1 defensive runs saved were tied for 13th among right fielders who played at least 500 innings.
It called into question the Gold Glove voting process. The award, which is presented by glove maker Rawling’s, is voted on by managers and coaches and not based on statistical metrics. His route-running was exposed during the World Series when a costly miscue cost the Yankees a lead in Game 1. They ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers and his defense became even more of a hot-button issue than ever.
The Mets are currently carrying veteran right fielder Starling Marte, another Dominican Republic native. The 36-year-old has one more year left on his three-year contract and has struggled to stay healthy over the last two seasons. When healthy he produced at the plate in 2024, but also had declining defensive metrics.
However, both Soto and Marte made plenty of dynamic defensive plays last year. The Mets could look to trade Marte or use him as a DH. Marte dislikes being used as a DH, preferring to play the field, but came around to doing it when the team needed him to.
By joining the Mets, the former Washington National rejoins the NL East. He’ll now face his former team and some former teammates in Philadelphia often, adding to some already exciting rivalries.
Cohen put the Yankees on notice when he entered the league. No longer are they considered the evil empire, it’s the Mets that had the better playoff showing against the Dodgers, the Mets with the better core and a rising farm system, and the Mets with the owners willing to spend what it takes to bring top talent to New York.
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