The biggest domino of the MLB off-season has fallen. On Sunday night, it was announced that the New York Mets had handed out the largest contract in sports history. Outfielder Juan Soto will move across the city, as the former New York Yankee has inked a 15-year deal worth a whopping $765 million.
Juan Soto Signs Monster Contract, Shifts World Series Odds
There were plenty of teams in the running, including the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Blue Jays. But the Mets were willing to hand Soto the most money and years, and are the winners of the biggest sweepstakes of the off-season.
We still have months before the start of the season, but the impact of the signing was immediate. When the off-season began, the Mets’ World Series odds were sitting at +1400. That was good enough for the 8th-best in the major leagues, well behind the Dodgers at +350 and Braves at +750. Soto’s signing changed all of that.
🚨 METS NOW HAVE THE THIRD BEST WORLD SERIES ODDS AFTER SIGNING JUAN SOTO 🚨
They were +1400 a few hours ago…
(@DKSportsbook) pic.twitter.com/Z17Q6O4mxo
— br_betting (@br_betting) December 9, 2024
In a matter of moments after the news was announced, the Mets shot up the odds board. The Dodgers are still the favorites at +350, and the Braves behind them. But Soto’s new team is now listed at +800, the third-best odds of any team. In the process, they were able to jump ahead of the Yankees (+900), Phillies (+1000), Orioles (+1100), and Astros (+1300).
The Mets have gone all-in in recent years. They had the highest payroll in the majors in each of the last two seasons, and have been in the top-three of the most expensive teams every year since 2021. They started off the 2024 campaign as one of the more disappointing teams in all of baseball given their high price tag, but they were able to right the ship and eventually advance to the NLCS.
The hopes are that Juan Soto will be able to put them over the edge. But the stiffest competition, at least according to the odds, are other teams in the National League. Four of the top five teams on the board are in the Mets’ league, and they’ll have to get through the juggernaut that is the Dodgers in order to reach their ultimate goal.
