Juan Soto Opens Up After MLB Free Agency-Altering Mets Deal

The New York Mets pulled off one of the biggest moves in Major League Baseball history last offseason.

That isn't an exaggeration. What the Mets did in signing Juan Soto was truly historic. There was a red-hot bidding war for his services featuring teams like the Mets, New York Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox. Ultimately, he decided to sign an MLB-altering 15-year, $765 million contract deal with the Mets with potential for even more.

Soto joined ESPN's Enrique Rojas and Juan Arturo Recio for a phenomenal interview about the process and shared some details behind the scenes of what went into the historic deal.

"The road to the Dominican superstar's record salary was not without its challenges, but much like his approach at the plate, he overcame them with patience, determination and a belief in himself," Rojas and Recio said. "For Hispanic Heritage Month, the 26-year-old Soto, his parents and those closest to him sat down with ESPN to discuss their role in helping the slugger cash in at such a historic level. 'A lot of people can think that I didn't work that hard, that everything came easy and fell from the sky, but behind all this there's a lot of work and effort,' Soto said. 'Lots of focus and sacrifices to be where I am today...'

Juan Soto is one-of-one

Sep 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) hits a single against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

"The talent and the staying power we're going to have. That's a tremendous team we have with the Mets; all the talent is young. I think that in a 15-year window, that's going to have a big influence on what the organization is going to be. That was the biggest thing about the influence of the contract."

Soto is a unicorn in his own right. It's not often a generational player of his caliber becomes a free agent, let alone a free agent as young as he did. That's why the market was insane. He has been everything the Mets could've hoped for in his first year. He's slashing .267/.399/.532 with a career-high 42 home runs and 36 stolen bases. He has 104 RBIs which is just five off his career best. Soto has played 155 games as of writing and has been great.

The deal that Soto landed is going to have a long-term impact on MLB free agency as a whole. The year before, Shohei Ohtani was the first member of the $700 million club. Soto is the second and went way past Ohtani. Each year moving forward, people are going to be compared to Soto. Kyle Tucker's is this year's top free agent. Soto is the bar and Tucker is significantly more likely to get less. But, each and every year moving forward, this contract will be talked about.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the next guy getting talked about. He ended up getting a 14-year, $500 million contract extension. Immediately after Soto signed, the conversation turned to who could be the next guy. Guerrero fit that mold. Now, Tucker is next. Tarik Skubal already has been discussed as someone who could set the market in 2027. Guys like Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds, or even Roman Anthony of the Boston Red Sox, before his contract extension, have been guys speculated as people who could get massive new deals.

There's no one out there that check every box that Soto did. His free agency was a perfect storm and it's interesting to hear him talk about the MLB history with almost a full season under his belt with the Mets.

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