Report Reveals Juan Soto’s Incredible Contract Demand

Juan Soto doesn’t appear to be close to a free agent move, but one report suggests he has a pretty big ask for interested teams.

Soto would have a 15-year contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Such a deal would bring Soto into his age-40 season and likely include some opt-out clauses.

Soto doesn’t seem interested in a short-term deal that carries an extremely high average annual value. Such a structure would likely allow it to maximize its potential revenue, but possible opt-out clauses as part of a longer-term deal would provide similar opportunities.

Heyman adds that bidding on Soto has likely progressed to a second round, with the New York Yankees among the teams likely to improve on their initial offer. It is believed that at least some teams would be willing to exceed $600 million to sign the star outfielder, with five clubs considered the most involved.

Soto is the prize on the free agent market, having just turned 26 years old. He’s statistically on the Hall of Fame path and has a real chance of becoming the most expensive free agent in history outside of Shohei Ohtani.