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Morning Edition

December 9, 2024

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We haven’t seen a free agent like Juan Soto in a very long time. Late on Sunday night, he signed a contract so big it overshadowed a loaded day of football. A contract worth nine times his career earnings. The largest contract in sports history. It is a 15-year, $765 million pact with the New York Mets, and it will forever change the way we see baseball free agency.

— Dennis Young [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Juan Soto Agrees to Groundbreaking $765 Million Mets Deal [[link removed]]

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Juan Soto has agreed to a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets, according to multiple [[link removed]] reports [[link removed]]. It breaks Shohei Ohtani’s record for the largest player contract in sports history, and unlike Ohtani’s Dodgers deal, it reportedly [[link removed]] contains no deferred money.

It also contains escalators that could take it over $800 million, according to ESPN [[link removed]]. Soto is coming off a stellar year with the Yankees, who reportedly finished runners-up in the sweepstakes for the Scott Boras client.

The Yankees reportedly offered just a hair less—$760 million over 16 years. That’s about $3.5 million less yearly than the record-breaking average annual value that Soto ultimately received. Steve Cohen’s Mets are now set to pay the 26-year-old Soto $51 million per year until the late 2030s—unless he opts out of the deal. The Athletic reports he can do so after the fifth season [[link removed]] when he would be 31. ESPN reports [[link removed]] the Mets will have an opportunity to void the 2029 opt out—by raising his annual salary from $51 million to $55 million. That would add $40 million to the guaranteed money, bringing it to $805 million.

Soto’s free agency at the age of 26 was a significant factor, as most free agents are around 30, as Ohtani was last offseason. That, alongside his consistent offensive excellence, provided the outfielder with immense leverage.

Mind-Boggling Math

At a basic level, this looks like a slight increase on Ohtani’s $700 million deal, with a lower yearly salary but a longer term. However, the lack of deferrals transforms any calculation. Ohtani will only make $20 million during the term of his contract, with the rest coming starting in 2034. As a result, MLB assessed his contract value as $460 million, lowering the salary tax number the Dodgers have to account for. Soto wound up clearing that figure by $305 million. Essentially, Soto’s new deal exceeded Ohtani’s in present value by the sum of the biggest contract in NBA history (Jayson Tatum—five years, $315 million).

Additionally, according to the New York Post [[link removed]], $75 million of the deal is granted to Soto as a signing bonus. Depending on where he declares his residency, he could avoid paying New York state and city taxes [[link removed]] on that sum, making the true number even higher.

New York, New York

The Mets had MLB’s highest tax payroll in 2024, at $348 million. That was effectively cut in half after the season, to $173 million. Soto’s addition will once again bring them near the top of the spending list (to third, below the Dodgers and Phillies), and they likely have more planned.

The Yankees have $199 million accounted for (now fourth, between the Mets and Padres), but the defending American League champions also have a significant gap in their lineup. There isn’t another player available capable of what Soto can do, but they could target free agents like Anthony Santander or Teoscar Hernandez as less expensive options who, while not stars, are capable hitters.

Hall of Fame Decisions Precede Winter Meetings

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The Baseball Hall of Fame kicked off a gathering in high-profile fashion Sunday night by announcing the election of Dick Allen and Dave Parker to the shrine by its Classic Baseball Era Committee. The two are the first members of the Hall of Fame’s induction class of 2025, which will get additional members next month once the Baseball Writers Association of America announces its election results.

The 16-member Classic Baseball Era Committee focused on the sport’s pre-1980 era, and among the notable candidates missing the cut was former pitcher Tommy John. In addition to a lengthy and decorated on-field career, John in particular has made baseball history by trailblazing a now-common ligament replacement surgery that is named for him. But he only garnered seven votes from the committee, five votes short of the needed threshold, though five other candidates received even less support.

“If I get in the Hall of Fame, I get in the Hall of Fame. If I don’t, I don’t,” John told Front Office Sports Today in October [[link removed]]. “I know how well I pitched, and I know what I did, and you can’t have a bunch of guys sitting back, scraping their ass on the chair saying, ‘Oh, he deserves to be in [the Hall] and he doesn’t.’”

MLB will also hold the lottery for the 2025 draft Tuesday, setting the order for the top six picks. That sequencing holds huge implications for teams as baseball’s draft continues to rise in stature and importance [[link removed]]. The Rockies and Marlins share the top odds of landing the first overall pick.

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Everything You Need to Know About The 2024 College Football Playoff

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The field of the first 12-team College Football Playoff is finally set.

After a thrilling set of conference championship games [[link removed]] over the weekend led to more controversy about which teams should and shouldn’t make the postseason bracket, the CFP selection committee revealed its ultimate decision Sunday afternoon.

Front Office Sports has covered every angle of the CFP chaos, from which teams got in and which conferences will benefit the most, to coaches cashing in on their teams’ success and a new TV landscape for college football. Let’s break down what we know and what it means; follow any of the links below to find out much more about each topic.

SMU In, Alabama Out

The most anticipated news of Sunday’s CFP reveal show on ESPN ended with SMU being awarded the final Playoff spot over Alabama [[link removed]], despite the Mustangs losing to Clemson in the ACC championship game.

Strength of schedule was a major debate point, with CFP selection committee chairman Warde Manuel saying Alabama’s tough slate was respected, but former Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban questioning whether schools will keep lining up matchups against strong opponents.

Boise State became the first Group of 5 school to reach the CFP [[link removed]]. The Broncos are the No. 3 seed, beating out Big 12 champion Arizona State (No. 4 seed) and ACC champion Clemson (No. 12).

Conference Realignment’s Impact Felt

Led by No. 1 overall seed Oregon, the Big Ten’s four CFP bids topped the SEC’s three [[link removed]]—with no other conference exceeding two. That guarantees the Big Ten at least a $20 million payout from CFP revenue distribution.

The Ducks were one of two former Pac-12 programs, alongside Arizona State, to win their conference championships during their first season in the league [[link removed]]. Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham led a wave of lucrative performance bonuses earned over the weekend [[link removed]], taking home $395,000 for winning the Big 12.

A New TV Frontier

With the first round of the CFP now less than two weeks away, ABC and ESPN are set to simulcast the first Notre Dame home game not aired on NBC since 1990 [[link removed]]. The in-state battle of Indiana–Notre Dame from South Bend, Ind., kicks off the CFP on Friday night Dec. 20.

On Dec. 21, TNT Sports will broadcast two games as part of their sublicensing agreement [[link removed]], Clemson-Texas and SMU-Penn State, before Tennessee-Ohio State closes out the first round on ABC and ESPN that night.

Loud and Clear Moving On

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

“Yes. There will be a new CEO. I’m fine with that.”

—Greg Norman on his role as CEO of LIV Golf, which is coming to an end in 2025. Norman, during an interview with Indianapolis-based WISH-TV [[link removed]], was asked about his future with LIV. “Will I always have a place and be involved with LIV to some capacity? Yes,” he said. “I’ll always have that. Because the impact that has been created in the game of golf by LIV, I’ve had a small, small piece of that, which I’m proud of.”

The Club at Chatham Hills in the Indianapolis area will host a LIV event in 2025. Recently, multiple reports have suggested Norman would soon be replaced as CEO, with former 76ers and Devils chief executive Scott O’Neil being linked to the position. Norman did not comment on who would eventually become the golf tour’s next CEO.

Status Report Four Up

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Galaxy ⬆ Los Angeles won a record sixth MLS Cup in their home stadium on Saturday, defeating the New York Red Bulls 2–1. MLS culminated a record season [[link removed]], which saw spikes in attendance and sponsorship revenue, boosted by interest in league MVP Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

McLaren ⬆ The Formula One team won its first constructors’ championship since 1998 on Sunday, after Lando Norris won the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix [[link removed]]. Ferrari, whose drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished second and third on Sunday, closed 14 points behind McLaren (race wins are worth 25 points). The top prize in F1’s constructors’ championship is worth roughly $140 million, with each successive drop in the standings worth around $8 million less.

Eagles bettor ⬆ An anonymous person in Kentucky had to sweat out Philadelphia’s narrow 22–16 victory over the Panthers on Sunday after betting $3.1 million on an Eagles win at -700 odds [[link removed]]. Carolina was leading early in the fourth quarter and had the ball in Philadelphia territory in the game’s final minute. With the win, the bettor made a profit of approximately $442,800.

Alamo Bowl ⬆ The game at San Antonio’s Alamodome gets one of the most interesting matchups of Bowl Season: a Big 12 battle between Colorado and BYU. Coach Deion Sanders led the Buffaloes to a 9–3 record, narrowly missing out on their conference championship games and a chance to make the College Football Playoff.

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A new level of flavor has arrived [[link removed]].

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Conversation Starters Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame will host the first on-campus College Football Playoff games [[link removed]]. That’s three locations with a high likelihood of extremely cold weather for first-round CFP matchups. The least expensive tickets for the SEC title game were five times as pricy as those for the Big Ten title game. Check out the get-in rates [[link removed]]for both games. Justin Herbert makes $56 million per year but remains loyal to his barber at Sport Clips. Read what she posted [[link removed]] about the Chargers QB after his most recent haircut. Editors’ Picks College Football’s Billionaire Backer Era Begins [[link removed]]by Daniel Roberts [[link removed]]Is this the new normal in CFB recruiting? With or Without Messi, Major League Soccer Is Barreling Into the Future [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]After the Cup final, the league looks to accelerate its growth. Commanders Plan to Bring Back Old Logo on Special Alumni Merchandise [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]The Commanders are bringing back their old logo in limited fashion. Question of the Day

Do you agree with the CFP committe's decision to select SMU rather than Alabama?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Friday’s result: 77% of respondents think the SEC should continue playing a conference title game.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by Dennis Young [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Or Moyal [[link removed]]

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