Juan Soto Stays in New York But Moves From Bronx to Queens Signing With Mets for 15-Yr, $765 Million

The biggest free agent in MLB is now off the market. 

Juan Soto, who spent 2024 with the New York Yankees, will be moving from the Bronx to Queens reportedly signing a 15-year, $765 contract with the New York Mets. 

It is the biggest contract in MLB history. 

Soto, 26, enters 2025 with nearly 1,000 career hits (934) for a lifetime batting average of .288, 201 HR and 592 RBI over 7 big league seasons spent with the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and the Bronx Bombers.

The Dominican born sensation has accomplished a lot in a short time. After finishing runner up to Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuna, Jr. in NL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2018 he would earn a World Series ring with the Nats in 2019. In 2021, Soto finished runner up in NL MVP balloting to Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper - the man he replaced in D.C.

The Nats, amid rebuilding, would trade Soto and Josh Bell to the San Diego Padres during the 2022 season. Soto would finish 6th in NL MVP balloting for an underachieving Padres team in 2023 prompting a trade to the Yankees one year ago yesterday. In 2024, Soto finished third in AL MVP balloting behind teammate Aaron Judge and Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians. 

Soto needed to be somewhere where he is number one. As long as Judge wears a Yankees uniform, it won't be the Bronx, and it wouldn't be with the Dodgers so as long as Shohei Ohtani plays in Chavez Ravine. While the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays were interested, they are rebuilding. 

Soto wants to win again now. The Mets put up a good fight against the eventual World Series champion Dodgers in the NLCS but were one piece short and Soto is probably the last piece of the puzzle needed in the Mets arsenal to taste a World Series title for the first time in nearly 40 years. 

If nothing else, the Yankees-Mets rivalry got that much more interesting especially if they face off in the World Series for the first time in 25 years. Judge vs. Soto.

Of course, this will be accompanied with a great deal of pressure. If the Mets fall short in 2025 or 2026 or take a few steps back, then Soto is going to hear it from Mets fans and from the New York sports media. Soto does have an opt-out provision in his contract following the 2029 season.

If things don't go well in New York, he might be happy to return to San Diego.