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NEW York Yankees superstar Juan Soto will have a massive payday once the 2024 regular season concludes.
The four-time MLB All-Star, 25, can look to Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani’s recent contract when negotiating his free agency payday.
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The Yankees are set to face the Dodgers in the World Series which is scheduled to start on Friday.
But once the season is over, the Bronx Bombers will have to decide if they want to pay the right fielder Soto a boatload of money.
He will be a free agent after the World Series and is expected to receive the second-highest contract in MLB history, trailing only Ohtani, who received a 10-year, $700 contract from the Dodgers last season.
Soto is coming off a tremendous season, recording 41 home runs and 109 RBIs along with a .419 on-base percentage.
Previous projections of a multi-year contract beginning at $500 million could now start at $600 million or more.
Soto hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning in Game 5 to help the Yankees take a 5-2 lead over the Cleveland Guardians.
The Yankees then advanced to the World Series for the first time since 2009.
Fans even chanted for Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner to resign Soto during the AL pennant trophy ceremony.
One of Soto’s teammates even urged the organization to keep Soto in pinstripes.
“Pay my guy! Pay Juan Soto!,” third baseman Jazz Chisholm told YES Network’s Meredith Marokovitz.
The Yankees acquired Soto last offseason in a trade with the San Diego Padres.
Soto and Aaron Judge have since been among the duos in baseball.
Judge has his eyes on a second career MVP thanks to his MLB-leading 58-home-run campaign.
The Yankees certainly have a history of spending and consistently rank among the league’s top spenders.
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However, they will have competition when it comes to Soto’s services.
Among the suitors will be the crosstown rival New York Mets, who is led by the $21.1 billion owner Steve Cohen.
The 2024 Mets payroll is $317 million and is coming off an NLCS exit.
They will have more than $150 million coming off the books.
Fortunately for the Yankees, their 2024 payroll came in at $312 million and they will have $80 million coming off the books.
And a World Series win, or loss, could motivate Soto to continue his stay with Aaron Boone’s Yankees.
