Could Juan Soto shatter Shohei Ohtani’s $700M record? Exploring the possibility of a high-stakes race for baseball’s next mega-contract

After Shohei Ohtani's epic free agency winter last year, it is time for Juan Soto to take center stage. The Yankees superstar will be focused on winning the World Series after their ALCS victory against the Cleveland Guardians. Still, he can rest assured that his agent, Scott Boras, will become busy as soon as the last game is played this postseason.

Soto turns 26 in five days but is yet to sign a mega contract extension with any team. As a youngster with the Washington Nationals, he declined two contract extensions - a 13-year $350 million and a 15-year $440 million. This year, he was traded to the Yankees, with whom he signed a $31 million contract in arbitration.

Some projections about a possible sum Soto can generate have been made, and so far, all have been record-breaking numbers. Last year, Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year $700 million contract that was supposed to be a benchmark for individuals looking to make it big. Because of deferrals, Ohtani's present-day annual average value (AAV) is $43.8 million.

While there have been wild projections of a 15-year $701 million contract for Soto, teams are expected not to offer a sum just to break Ohtani's contract. However, the 25-year-old may set a new AAV record. For that, a contract between $500-550 million over 10-12 years will be enough to eclipse Shohei's $43.8 million.

Yankees to face stiff competition to re-sign Juan Soto

Juan Soto has created enough of a legacy in the pinstripes in just one year. Along with the likes of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, he led them to their first National League pennant in 15 years, and now they have a shot at the World Series. The Yanks have been vocal about wanting to keep the Dominican in their team.

After his epic three-run home run in game 5 of the ALCS, Soto's teammate Jazz Chisholm excitedly asked the team to pay $700 million for the slugger. If that is far-fetched, insider Jon Heyman has projected somewhere around $600 million for the left-handed bat.

However, as reports suggest, the New York Mets are also heavily invested in signing his services. Some insiders also believe that the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals have an outside chance at offering the right price. No matter what happens, it is all set to be another exciting winter.