A baseball star has reportedly agreed a 15-year $765m (£600m) deal with the New York Mets – one of the richest contracts in sport history.
Juan Soto, 26, will join the Mets after spending one season with cross-town rival the New York Yankees.
The deal was first reported by ESPN which said the agreement offers Soto an opt-out option after five years – and the contract could end up being worth over $800m (£626m).
The Yankees had been willing to offer the Dominican outfielder a contract worth $760m (£595m) over 16 years but they were outbid by the Mets, according to The New York Post.
Despite his young age, Soto has established himself as one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball and placed his name next to some of the greatest players in the sport’s history.
In August 2019, he became the fourth player in top level baseball history to record 100 extra-base hits before his 21st birthday.
He is one of just seven players with a 30-plus home run season before turning 21.
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Soto also won the World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019.
The reported agreement would be the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, topping Shohei Ohtani’s $700m (£548m), 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which was signed last December.
Shortly after the signing, however, reports surfaced that Ohtani was deferring $68m (£53m) of the $70m (£55m) he is due each season, with Los Angeles paying him through to 2043.
However, none of the money in the Soto deal is deferred – meaning it will be paid out across 15 years if he doesn’t opt out after five.
While there are no definitive records in sports beyond the United States, Soto’s deal is thought to eclipse those in all other team sports.
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How much will Soto earn?
The baseball star will reportedly earn $805m (£630m) if he chooses to continue his contract after five years.
This means he will earn $51m (£40m) a year in his first five years, and $55m (£43m) a year in the remaining 10.
There are 162 games in a regular Major League Baseball season – with Soto’s $805m meaning he will have earned just over $331,000 (£259,000) a game after 15 years.
There’s no set time limit for a baseball game, which typically has nine innings. In recent seasons, these games have reportedly averaged at around 2 hours and 36 minutes in length.
On this basis, Soto will have earned around $2,100 (£1,643) a minute during each game after 15 years.
