The New York Mets wanted Juan Soto to know his future with them could be set in stone.
When the free agent outfielder traveled to owner Steve Cohen’s house in Beverly Hills, California, for a presentation last month, the team unveiled a video that included an image of a future Soto statue outside Citi Field, next to the one erected of franchise great Tom Seaver.
“Everything that they showed me, what they have, what they want to do, it was incredible,” Soto said. “But my favorite part was the video.”
Juan Soto was introduced at Citi Field after his record $765 million, 15-year contract was finalized. He was flanked by Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and agent Scott Boras.
Cohen purchased the Mets ahead of the 2021 season and has boosted them to baseball’s highest payroll in search of the team’s first title since 1986.
The value of Soto’s contract eclipsed Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. The 26-year-old Soto batted .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks this year and has a .285 career average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 769 walks over seven seasons with Washington, San Diego and the Yankees.
Soto’s success will be determined by World Series titles. The Yankees have 27, the Mets two.
“It’s such a big city, right? There’s plenty of room for both of us,” Cohen said.
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