*Comte Complet is a podcast about the world of baseball. Marc Griffin and Alain Usereau look at current events as well as in-depth issues that appeal to both enthusiasts and amateurs looking to find out more.
SPECIAL COLLABORATION
There are only four or five owners in baseball who can offer that amount to a player.
In other words, how do you expect an industry like baseball to be fair and have parity among teams when 25 of the 30 owners watch a handful of owners raise millions for a hitter.
The owner of the New York Mets, Steve Cohen, is the richest owner in baseball and, for him, there is no question of passing up Juan Soto. Cohen made his fortune in art and, for him, Soto is that rare painting. But there is certainly ego in all that.
Also, don’t compare Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. Ohtani is a brand in himself and has accomplished things that are incomparable. There is no case law with Ohtani given what he did. Financially, with Ohtani’s popularity in Japan, the contract pays for itself.
Soto is an excellent hitter, certainly among the best of his generation with a reputation for being good in big moments. But it stops there! A very average runner, an ordinary outfielder with a decent arm. Certainly, a player who stands out, but a contract that will be heavy to support for a guy who just hits!
Who emerges as the winner from this monstrous contract? Obviously Juan Soto who can now take his bath in champagne if he wants. Mets fans are certainly happy to see their owner sign a hitter of Soto’s caliber, but the real winners are the teams that made offers to Soto, but ultimately have to turn to their plan B.
Not only do they have the financial means, but there are still excellent free agents available and creativity sometimes produces good results.
25 years ago in 2000, Alex Rodriguez signed his famous $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers leaving the Seattle Mariners. The very next year, in 2001, the Mariners won 116 games. Bryce Harper left the Washington Nationals in 2018 to join the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2019, the Nationals won their first World Series with a certain Juan Soto. In 2023, the San Diego Padres did not make the playoffs with Soto. San Diego trades Soto to the Yankees and, in 2024, the Padres had the 3rd best record in the National League. In other words, for the Yankees, there is hope. They could sign three quality players for Soto’s price.
Vladimir Guerrero is another one who stands to gain from this Juan Soto contract, along with all the other players who will be 26 when they become free agents. At 26 years old, we know that a player will give several good years of performance compared to a free agent aged 30 and over. Guerrero falls into this category. He will be 26 when he becomes a free agent. The Toronto Blue Jays should have put him under a long-term contract much earlier like the Atlanta Braves did for Ronald Acuna Jr. If the Jays can’t sign him before next year, that’s none of their business. good for Toronto. The starters are aging, relief help needs to be found and there aren’t a ton of promising players growing in the organization.
If Jays fans are nervous, Mets fans are certainly excited, but know that it’s going to cost more to see baseball. Inevitably, paying such a price for a hitter will take its toll. As mentioned, 25 of baseball’s 30 markets will not be able to afford to have a star player like this when he becomes a free agent. It looks like a super league of five teams and then the rest. There is nothing good in all this.
However, teams make money, not to forget, but a market like Pittsburgh cannot generate the revenue of a market like New York and Los Angeles. Revenue sharing is good and helps small market teams. But the gap is widening. We might as well force the teams to spend exclusively the money received from sharing, so having a floor on the payroll, that would not change the fact that the richest will always spend more.
The Mets will also have to spend more. Soto will obviously help the offense, but remember Pete Alonso is a free agent. Soto will produce and more than compensate for the loss of Alonso, but it will take more in my opinion, as will the rotation of starters. In other words, Soto helps, but doesn’t guarantee the Mets a championship.
Two final things I take away from this contract is that Soto didn’t necessarily love his time with the Yankees. They offered him $5 million less with one year more and he still refused. Despite his outstanding batting discipline, Soto won’t receive as many quality pitches since he won’t have Aaron Judge in the holding circle. It may come down to even more walks, but maybe a little less power. To be continued!
The other thing is that this contract will have a greater influence on the baseball industry than Shohei Ohtani’s contract. I repeat, despite his batting excellence and his age, Soto is a hitter. In other words, all the excellent hitters will see their contracts increase significantly when their current agreement expires.
What is Bobby Witt Jr worth now? He is a much more complete player than Soto, as he can run and excel on defense.
We just haven’t finished seeing salaries increase for star players, which widens the gap further with other players. An industry with such a wide gap between owners in terms of revenue and such a wide gap between star players and other players is a recipe for significant conflict. We’ll talk about it again on December 1, 2026 when the current agreement will be up for renewal.
Now that Soto’s contract is confirmed, the wave of signings will accelerate in the coming days. Looking forward to seeing what happens next for the Yankees, Jays and Red Sox.
