"I love Juan Soto, but this is ridiculous";"He ain't worth that much" - Fans on reports of Free Agent superstar's potential $750 million contract

Juan Soto will be a name discussed a lot when MLB's GMs congregate in Dallas next week for the annual Winter Meetings. While everybody knows that the free agent outfielder is bound to garner some serious offers, new suggestions are hinting at some record-shattering figures.

On Thursday, ESPN insiders Buster Olney and Jeff Passan revealed some staggering numbers. According to the insiders, Soto could be poised to receive up to $750 million over the course of 15 seasons.

"There's a possibility that Juan Soto's next contract could end up in the $750M range over 15 years, per @Buster_ESPN & @JeffPassan" - B/R Walk-Off

Should a deal of that magnitude come to fruition, Soto's contract would surpass Shohei Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Seeing as though Ohtani is widely regarded as a better all-around player than Soto, several fans are unconviced that the Dominican is deserving of such a massive pledge.

The fact that Juan Soto's 2024 season with the New York Yankees was one of the best of his career undoubtedly boosts his free agency value. In 157 games, Soto scored an AL-best 128 runs while hitting .288/.419/.569. Additionally, Soto's 41 home runs represented a career high, and he played an integral role in helping his club reach their first World Series since 2009.

"More than Ohtani? Nah" - opined a fan

"Overpay of the century" - claimed another

"I’m sorry but he ain’t worth that much…" - came another voice of dissent

Although Juan Soto will sign one of the biggest deals in MLB history, the grand winner is yet to be determined. Thus far, the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets are seen as prime contenders. Both teams with very deep pockets, multiple sources have claimed that these clubs have tabled offers in the realm of $600 million.

"I'm sorry, but this is absolutely insane lol." - offered a fan

"He's only worth half that" - was another claim

"Pass" - was a final sentiment

Juan Soto sweepstakes are proof that we are in a new era of MLB contracts

Ever since the Dodgers employed a somewhat complex system of deferred payments to land Shohei Ohtani, an increasing number of teams have begun to see that strategy as a winning one. As Buster Olney claimed in his ESPN piece:

"It's a perfect storm of bidding, and through the use of deferrals, it does not seem out of the realm of possibility that the broad strokes of his deal could be something in the range of $750 million over 15 years."

As if fans needed any more proof, we are in a new era of big-money deals. Do not expect Juan Soto to be the last such signing as $1 billion deals are far closer than we may realize.