ARLINGTON, Texas — Two years ago, the saga of Juan Soto dominated MLB’s All-Star Game as he ultimately was days away from being traded from Washington to San Diego after rejecting a then record $440 million contract offer from the Nationals.
Now, Soto is a Yankee and again an All-Star. His situation is currently sharing the spotlight with the frenzy around Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes, who will be the starting pitcher for the National League. But the saga of Soto and his long-term contract status is once more poised to render huge impacts across the entire sport.
The 25-year-old Soto will be a free agent at the end of the season, and expectations are that he will sign a contract of at least $500 million, a pact that would trail only Shohei Ohtani’s historic $700 million deal with the Dodgers. If Soto can get to at least $504 million, he would surpass Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes for the second-largest player deal in all of U.S. team sports.
“I’m just trying to enjoy the moment,” Soto said Monday. “I’m trying to leave the free agency to [agent] Scott [Boras], focus on my game, and not think about where [the deal is] going to be.”
Boras, the powerful and high-profile agent who represents Soto, has called his client a “centurion,” arguing that Soto is not just one of MLB’s elite players but also a generational-level talent who can materially add to franchise values.
The likely price tag on Soto excludes a large swath of MLB’s lower-revenue teams, but three candidates immediately stand out: the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers. Soto has raved about his experience with his current club since arriving in New York, and said again Monday that Yankees fans were the “most impressive” he’s played for. Mets owner Steve Cohen, worth nearly $20 billion, is MLB’s richest team owner, and given his prior penchant for record-setting payroll spending, is the most well-equipped to dig deep for Soto.
But when asked Monday which player he would most like to play with who he hasn’t yet, his immediate answer spoke volumes: Ohtani. Furthermore, he said the final outcome of the Yankees’ season won’t necessarily have a bearing on his free-agency decision, despite his current happiness in pinstripes.
“I don’t know if that’s going to affect anything with my decision,” he said. “When it’s time to make a decision, we’ll sit down and look around. But right now, I hope to win another championship.”
Skenes Narrows His Focus
Skenes and girlfriend Olivia Dunne, a star LSU gymnast with a social media following of more than 13 million, are rapidly becoming baseball’s version of the Travis Kelce–Taylor Swift romance. MLB is happily leaning into that notion, posting a picture Monday of their arrival in Texas for the All-Star Game.
But once here, Skenes quickly showed a more back-to-basics approach for the high-profile event, seeking to filter out as many distractions as possible to focus on baseball.
“I’m just looking forward to spending some time with some of the veteran guys here,” Skenes said. “I want to pick their brains and see what they have to share.”
The prime-time showcase Tuesday for Skenes, however, will likely be limited as the pitcher is currently slated to appear for only one inning. If the American League is retired in order during the first inning, viewers could be deprived of a matchup between Skenes and Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, hitting cleanup.
