Juan Soto contract breakdown: Details of Mets’ $765M deal, including opt-out clause, incentives and more

Juan Soto is now officially a member of the New York Mets. He passed his physical, and the team made the announcement Wednesday night, three days after Soto agreed to terms on a 15-year contract worth $765 million. Soto’s contract is the largest in Major League Baseball history, dethroning the $700 million agreement Shohei Ohtani signed just a year ago with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The rise of interest in sports business since the publication of “Moneyball” means, in part, that contract structures get scrutinized as much as lineups or in-game decisions. With that in mind, we here at CBS Sports wanted to honor the moment by breaking down four notable aspects of Soto’s reported agreement with the Mets.

Let’s get to it.

1. There’s no deferred money

The defining characteristic of Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million pact with the Dodgers was the absurd amount of deferred money — all but $2 million per season. As a result of that structure and the time value of money, Ohtani’s deal had a present value of $437,830,563, according to the MLB Players Association’s calculations. 

No formula is needed for Soto’s agreement. 

That’s because this deal contains no deferred money, according to MLB’s Mark Feinsand. In other words, this isn’t a case where Soto signed for $765 million but his “actual” contract is along the lines of being worth $450 million (or whatever figure).

2. Intriguing opt-out opportunity after 2029 season 

Although Soto signed for 15 years, or what appeared to be the rest of his career, he’ll actually hold the power to bail a third of the way through. Indeed, his pact includes an opt-out clause after five seasons, according to multiple reports

Opt outs are commonplace in most of agent Scott Boras’ megadeals. This particular opt-out clause includes a way for Soto’s record-breaking deal to hit the $800 million mark. Here’s the deal’s exact structure, according to the New York Post’s:

• 2025-2026: $46.875 million
• 2027: $42.5 million
• 2028-2029: $46.875 million
• 2030-2038: $46 million

If Soto does want to reenter free agency as a 31-year-old, the Mets have the opportunity to override his opt out by adding an addition $4 million per season to the final 10 years of his contract. That would give Soto $50 million per year for his final decade in Queens and raise the grand total of this enormous deal to $805 million.

Keep in mind, Soto’s opt-out will fall after MLB and the MLBPA reach terms on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, meaning the league’s landscape could look different than it does at present. 

3. Massive signing bonus

Soto isn’t just getting paid a ton overall, he’s getting $75 million in the form of a signing bonus, according to Feinsand. 

The payment schedule hasn’t been reported, but it should be noted that Soto won’t necessarily receive that $75 million all at once. Mookie Betts‘ deal with the Dodgers included a $65 million signing bonus paid in increments every Nov. 1. Conversely, Blake Snell will receive a $52 million signing bonus from the Dodgers in January.

We’ll see which path Soto’s bonus takes, but let’s be clear about something: it’ll still count for Competitive Balance Tax purposes. Nevertheless, it does make for a nice sweetener for players who are cognizant of the time value of money.

4. Incentives + no-trade clause

Soto can increase his total earnings by winning some hardware. According to MLB’s Mark Feinsand, Soto will earn $500,000 if he wins a National League Most Valuable Player Award. He’ll then earn $1 million per subsequent MVP, giving him plenty of a reason to keep his foot on the gas pedal heading forward. 

For context, Soto has never won an MVP. He has finished in the top three of voting twice, however, including in 2024. Jon Heyman reports Soto would receive $350,000 for a second-place MVP finish and $150,000 for third through fifth place.

Other notable aspects of Soto’s deal include a full no-trade clause, meaning he would need to approve any deal that sees him shipped elsewhere for the third time in his career. Soto also gets to wear the No. 22 with the Mets (a number that previously belonged to third baseman Brett Baty), and a luxury suite for home games, per Heyman.