Have collectors made as much on Juan Soto as he did in his new contract?
Juan Soto will earn more annually than Lebron James! Juan Soto is set to sign a 15-year $765 million contract with the New York Mets. This contract becomes the largest deal in professional sports history, edging out the record-breaking contract the Shohei Ohtani received from the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason of $700 million/10years. Soto will earn $51 million annually; notably being the largest annual salary in the MLB, and more than Lebron James' 50.6 million.
BREAKING: Superstar outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets are in agreement on a 15-year, $765 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest deal in professional sports history.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 9, 2024
Soto, at 26 years old, was the top free agent available this MLB offseason, and now the Mets will have him for the next decade and a half. In 2024, Soto finished third in AL MVP voting, as he reached career high numbers in runs (128), hits (166), home runs (41), and WAR (7.9).
Many collectors will now ask the question: How does this affect Soto's market? Pre the Soto signing, the Mets had a higher 2024 payroll than Soto's former team in the New York Yankees, ranking No.1 & 2 in the MLB. The demand may not be as strong for Mets cards as it is for Yankees cards, but only time will tell the impact Soto will have.
Just four months ago, one of Juan Soto’s best cards sold via Ebay auction for $78,877; 2018 Topps Chrome Update Rookie Superfractor 1/1 Auto. This sale is the seventeenth highest sale for any Soto card, though only two of the larger sales have happened within the past two years. The card that holds the largest known Soto sale, is his 2016 First Bowman Chrome Orange Refractor Auto 22/25 (Jersey Number) BGS 9.5/10, which sold for $300,000 on February 7th, 2022 (Private sale). For the sake of fun math, the Soto sale of $300,000 makes for 0.0392157% of his $765 million contract.
