"Shohei Ohtani set the tone with 7" - Ex-Phillies GM calls it craziness as Juan Soto’s projected contract doubles Bryce Harper’s $330,000,000

Free agent outfielder Juan Soto hopes to sign a new contract that rivals or even exceeds Shohei Ohtani's record-setting 10-year, $700 million contract signed with the LA Dodgers last offseason.

Before that, some of the biggest contracts in MLB included Mike Trout's $426.5 million over 12 years with the LA Angels, Mookie Betts' $356 million over 12 years with the Dodgers, Aaron Judge's $360 million over nine years with the New York Yankees and Bryce Harper's $330 million for 13 years with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Earlier this week, former MLB player Carlos Baerga reported that the New York Mets had already offered a contract to Juan Soto worth $660 million — double the amount Harper signed for in 2019. The reported figure prompted a reaction from former Phillies GM Rubén Amaro Jr.

"I don’t think there’s any question that the number is going to be north of $500 million," Amaro said on "The Phillies Show." "Yeah, I think so. It’s not unrealistic to think there’s a six in front of this number. You know, I know Ohtani set the tone with the seven number, so who the hell knows, man? Who the hell knows? It’s craziness. All I know is it’s craziness, and thankfully, it’s not my money." (9:30 mark onwards)

Juan Soto rejects qualifying offer from Yankees

Even though it was more of a formality, Juan Soto on Tuesday rejected he qualifying offer of the New York Yankees, his former team. This puts him among 11 players in the league who declined such offers. Among those eligible, only Nick Martinez accepted, signing a $21.05 million, one-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

Last week, Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed his desire to work with Juan Soto again following a career-high season, where the team just fell short of a World Series triumph.

“As I’ve said all year, what Juan did for us between the lines was pretty special, and (he) put together a remarkable season,” Boone said last week. “But equally, I was just impressed with the person. Really getting to know him and getting to manage him was a pleasure.

“I certainly would love to have him back, obviously. I want him in pinstripes moving forward. But you also know there’s going to be a lot of people competing for that, and who knows where it ends up?”

The Yankees and the Mets are emerging as frontrunners in the race to secure Juan Soto, with both teams expected to drive up the bidding war for the highly sought-after outfielder.