"$600,000,000 territory" - MLB analyst claims Juan Soto could overtake Shohei Ohtani's $46,000,000 AAV by re-signing with Yankees

The race to sign Juan Soto, the top free agent of this off-season, is seemingly coming down to a handful of teams, with the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox rumored to be among the favorites to land the outfielder. Jack Curry of YES Network claims that the New York Yankees have also made an offer in the $600 million region that would exceed the $46 million record AAV of Shohei Ohtani.

Juan Soto enjoyed an outstanding solo campaign with the New York Yankees in his final year before reaching free agency. The Yankees won the American League pennant and reached the World Series after 15 years, and Soto finished third in the MVP voting. But they failed to sign the 26-year-old to an extension during the season and will probably need to offer a record deal to bring him back to the team.

However, YES Network analyst Jack Curry feels the Yankees are ready to offer around $600 million to Juan Soto, and it will entail a higher average annual salary than the record-breaking $700 million contract of Shohei Ohtani in terms of actual value.

"He is the biggest fish in the ocean, and the Yankees would love to have that reunion with Soto," Curry said. "They have had several productive conversations. They have, obviously, exchanged offers about money. This is going to be a mega-contract. I talked to one industry source who said that when Soto eventually signs, he will exceed the deal that Ohtani signed.

"Now I don't mean 10 years, $700 million; I mean the real value, which is $46 million per year," he continued. "When you start to think about what that means in terms of years, it's a 12-13 year deal; you're creeping up into the $600 million territory."

The Los Angeles Dodgers set the record for the largest-ever contract in the MLB last year with the 10-year, $700 million deal for Shohei Ohtani. Yet, the true value of his average annual salary comes down to around $46 million per year due to payment deferrals.

The Yankees have put their best foot forward: Jack Curry on the chances of Juan Soto returning to the Bronx

The Yankees are eager to bring Juan Soto back to the Bronx (Source: Imagn)

The New York Yankees are presently considered to be lagging behind the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but Jack Curry feels they still have a strong chance of landing the left-handed slugger. He believes the Yankees are doing everything they can to bring him back to the team.

"The Yankees have been very comfortable with the presentation and the process they have had with Soto," Curry said. "They feel they have made this a priority. They have put their best foot forward, and they say that they are comfortable with whatever decision he ends up making because they feel that they have sent the message that they want him in New York.

"When you're swimming in these waters, you know you are willing to go to that level to pay him, and they are trying to send that message to him that, hey, they want him back at right field, and they want him there for a long time," he added.

Juan Soto batted .288/.419/.569 for the Yankees in the regular season with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs.