• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

The Billion-Dollar Player: MLB Nears Unprecedented Contract Milestone

Accelerating compensation scales, new deferral strategies, and a retooled revenue landscape could all help to bring a historic 10-figure player contract to baseball. 

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

In just the last 12 months, historic salary thresholds in Major League Baseball have moved from the impossible to the improbable to reality. So it now appears increasingly inevitable that MLB will have a $1 billion player in the sport—and perhaps somewhat soon. 

This past week saw the record-setting 15-year deal between the Mets and free-agent outfielder Juan Soto worth a whopping $765 million. The agreement beat by nearly 10% Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million pact from just a year ago in total value, and at the time, that pact obliterated all prior records. In less than six years, the top end for a player contract has grown by nearly $340 million and about 80%, and it was only in 2012 when an entire MLB team garnered $1 billion on the open market. 

What’s more, Mets owner Steve Cohen has professed a clear acceptance of moving well beyond his comfort zone to acquire top talent—precisely the kind of mindset that an estimated net worth of more than $21 billion enables. Deferred payments embraced by many teams, particularly the Dodgers, also help with the rise in compensation. 

“If you want something amazing, it’s going to be uncomfortable. It’s never going to be comfortable,” Cohen said. “So I always stretch [financially].” 

As a result, chatter inside the game is quickly growing and a $1 billion player deal is poised to arrive in the not-too-distant future. Such talk is rising in the NBA, too, where top-end deals for basketball’s megastars are also growing at an accelerating rate. 

Who Can It Be Now?

As the parlor game begins over who and when gets MLB’s first $1 billion deal, there is perhaps a meaningful clue on the timing. Commissioner Rob Manfred is looking to fundamentally retool the league’s media strategy to have a broad batch of both national and local rights available in 2028 when current deals with ESPN, Fox, and TNT Sports expire. Once that is resolved, team owners will have better clarity on future revenues. 

By that point, MLB will also have gone through another round of labor negotiations with the MLB Players Association, and a clearer road map should also exist on the sport’s economic framework for at least the back end of this decade. Given the salary escalation just in the last year, though, some owners also may not want to wait on those developments—just as Cohen clearly didn’t in a deal with Soto stretching through 2039. 

On the player front, there is a growing crop of young stars not yet eligible for free agency that will almost certainly command big dollars once they do get the ability to select their next team, and perhaps could be the first to get a $1 billion contract. Among them are Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, and Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 

None of those players, however, had the career head start that Soto did, who reached the big leagues at 19 and became a free agent just days after his 26th birthday—earlier than nearly all other MLB players.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Injured Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the bench during the first half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at United Center.

WNBA Ratings Rise 3% in 2025 Despite Clark’s Absence

Caitlin Clark played in just 13 of 44 regular-season games.
Las Vegas Aces

WNBA Playoffs Face ESPN Fall Crunch For Final Time

The games will be spread across three networks next year.

Ken Rosenthal: I Apologized to Photog After Knocking Him Over

Rosenthal backpedaled into the photographer to avoid a Gatorade shower.

Low-Payroll Brewers Buck the Math, Clinch First MLB Playoff Berth

Milwaukee continues to defy its market size and economic constraints.

Featured Today

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
Sep 14, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) gestures to a teammate after scoring against the Seattle Storm in the first quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Aces Surge From Collapse to Contention With Dynasty at Stake

The turnaround started after a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
September 14, 2025

Most NFL Home Teams Opt to Honor Charlie Kirk Before Games

Several NFL teams playing at home on Sunday recognized the late activist. Some did not.
September 15, 2025

Tush Push Debate Heats Up in Eagles Win, Ex-NFL Rules Chief Sounds..

The Eagles are continuing to run the quarterback-sneak play.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 14, 2025

Crawford-Alvarez Bout Draws Biggest Crowd in Vegas Boxing History

Record attendance, a big gate, and growing ambitions mark the high-profile bout.
Premier Lacrosse League
September 14, 2025

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles past Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) in the second half at Target Center.
September 12, 2025

As WNBA Grows, Engelbert Says Its Playoff Field Won’t for a While

Eight of thirteen WNBA teams made the playoffs this year.
September 12, 2025

UEFA Delays Overseas Matches Ruling As LaLiga Miami Game Looms

Barcelona-Villarreal is scheduled for late December at Hard Rock Stadium.