Baseball professional Juan Soto: Fattest guaranteed contract in sports history

Baseball professional Juan Soto has agreed to the highest contract sum in the history of Major League Baseball with the New York Mets, making him presumably the best-paid team athlete in the world. According to consistent reports from US media, the Dominican will receive at least 765 million US dollars (726 million euros) over the next 15 years. According to information from the AP news agency, this could even amount to $805 million through clauses. No other athlete has ever been guaranteed such a salary.

Soto most recently played for city rivals the New York Yankees, who reportedly offered $760 million for a 16-year contract. Soto was free to decide which team he would sign with and now has the longest-running agreement in MLB history. His contract is also significantly larger than that of Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose ten-year contract is worth $700 million and was previously considered the most expensive contract for a team athlete.

Soto is 26 years old and has already been selected to the league’s All-Star team four times. He made his league debut at age 19 and won the World Series with the Washington Nationals in his second season. His role as an outfielder requires strong defensive skills, such as catching balls quickly and throwing accurately to eliminate opposing runners. Soto is also known for his exceptional hitting power, discipline at bat and his way of reacting to opposing pitchers and their throws.

However, based on annual salary alone, Soto is not number one in the sports world. Although he receives $75 million for the signature alone and then an average of at least $51 million annually, which is probably increasing every year – according to media reports, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo alone earns $215 million from the Saudi club Al-Nassr annually on a two-year contract. In addition, there is his income from advertising partnerships.