Sources - Mets land Juan Soto on 15-year, $765M deal - ESPN

Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources told ESPN on Sunday night, the largest deal in professional sports history.

The deal includes an opt-out after five years and no deferred money, sources said. If Soto chooses not to opt out, his deal will go up $4 million per year — from $51 to $55 million — for the remainder of the contract, meaning the total value could exceed $800 million.

The contract also includes a $75 million signing bonus, sources said.

The 26-year-old Soto, whose prodigious power, discerning eye and postseason bona fides created a free agent frenzy among some of the game's blue-blood teams, joins a Mets squad that made a surprising run to the National League Championship Series last season and is now poised to contend for years to come.

Following a standout season with the New York Yankees in which he guided the team to the World Series and finished third in American League MVP voting, Soto's presence in the free agent market drew significant interest. While the Mets, Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers were among the final bidders, teams across the financial spectrum — including the lower-payroll Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays — explored signing Soto, covetous of his special bat.

The Yankees fielded a competitive offer — a 16-year, $760 million deal with an annual average value of $47.5 million and no deferrals, sources told ESPN's Buster Olney. Ultimately, though, Soto decided on the Mets.

In seven major league seasons, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Soto has hit .285/.421/.532 with 201 home runs and 592 RBIs and has accumulated more than 36 wins above replacement. Despite below-average