Former Yankees star claims Juan Soto's $765,000,000 contract could become 'burdensome' for Mets in the future

On Saturday, MLB analyst and former New York Yankees catcher Erik Kratz discussed Juan Soto's massive contract. According to Kratz, offering the Dominican the largest contract ever could be a significant burden for the New York Mets, if it financially hinders them from bringing in more talent in the future.

As the 2024 season ended, Soto's free agency was an extremely hot topic. With the kind of performances he had been putting in daily as a pinstriper, it was clear that securing Soto's services for the prime years of his career would certainly not come cheap. Though many initially expected the Yankees to get their man, their indecision allowed Steve Cohen and the Mets to swoop in, offering Soto a 15-year, $765 million deal.

Though Soto's addition undoubtedly brings tons, Kratz argued that by putting so many of their eggs in one basket, the Mets may be putting themselves in a difficult situation in the future.

"For the contract to be worthwhile, I'm going to go out on a limb here ... I'm going to say if they (Mets) are able to sign other superstars. If this contract inhibits the Mets, which I don't think it will, from signing other superstars, then it is a burdensome contract, no matter what he (Juan Soto) does on the field," Kratz said on 'Foul Territory' on Saturday. [2:45]

On the other hand, Kratz discussed how the deal may be quite a great piece of business.

"But, if they are still able to sign other guys, this contract has already paid for itself because it now puts the Mets on the map as 'the team' that is going to be a destination [for other players]. People will want to play with Juan Soto, and that alone will be worth the contract, because you're getting so much surplus value out of this contract, and that's what everybody wants," Kratz said.

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Former big leaguer has his say on what Juan Soto needs to do to become a Mets legend

Heading into the new season, many expect Juan Soto to perform in a way that justifies the Mets' investment in him. In the same, former big leaguer Todd Frazier talked about what he thinks the Dominican should look to accomplish, on both a collective and individual level, to cement his legacy at Citi Field.

"For me, [for Juan Soto to establish his Mets legacy,] it would be a World Series title first and foremost," he said. "It would be winning the division a handful of times, not just once. Then, we go back to the individual stuff, maybe a 60 homer year, 150 RBIs. He's gotta have something insane going on. He's making a lot of money."

New York Mets v St. Louis Cardinals - Source: Getty

As opening day inches closer, Mets fans will hope Soto's addition can help the team improve on their NLCS finish in 2024 and finally win a World Series.