Juan Soto surpasses Shohei Ohtani and signs a record $31 million contract with the Yankees

The official website of Major League Baseball reported that Juan Soto closed a $31 million contract with the New York Yankees. This deal sets a new record for the largest one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible player, surpassing Shohei Ohtani's $30 million.

The information was confirmed by sources to MLB executive journalist, Mark Feinsand. In addition, the Yankees announced that Soto is eligible to be a free agent after the 2024 season. Later, the team explained on X that it closed a contract with Soto to avoid salary arbitration.

Juan Soto "He's an offensive machine"

The Yankees had been clear for a long time. They wanted Juan Soto, one of the most productive hitters in the world, wearing their striped uniform. That became a reality in December when the team pulled off a mega-trade with the Padres that was the talk of the winter meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

"Soto, 25, arrives in New York along with outfielder Trent Grisham in exchange for five players: right-handed pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, and Dominicans and right-handed pitchers Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez, as well as catcher Kyle Higashioka. MLB Pipeline ranks Thorpe as the No. 99 prospect on their Top 100 list while Vásquez was the Yankees' 13th-ranked prospect," Major League Baseball (MLB) reported.

Meanwhile, the Yankees manager claimed that he is one of the best hitters and highlighted that at his young age, Soto has managed to make a great career for himself.

"He's as good a hitter as anyone. He's an offensive machine, getting on base and he's accomplished a lot at a young age," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.