Shortly after Juan Soto inked his record-setting 15-year, \$765 million free agent deal with the New York Mets this past offseason, front offices around Major League Baseball began asking a big question: Who could possibly be next to top Soto’s unprecedented contract?
The answer wasn’t straightforward. Soto’s deal didn’t just edge past the previous high—it blew it away (Shohei Ohtani’s \$700 million contract had a present-day value of under \$500 million). Plus, many potential challengers had already signed long-term extensions, reducing the pool of viable contenders. To even be in the running for a contract of that scale requires a rare blend of youth and elite performance, and with stars like Bobby Witt Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Corbin Carroll, and Jackson Chourio already locked in, the field is thin. The San Diego Padres’ recent extension with Jackson Merrill removed yet another top candidate.
This led executives and agents to a broader and equally compelling discussion: Which players today are likely to command contracts worth \$100 million or more?
While nine-figure deals are no longer a rarity—over 150 have been signed since Kevin Brown broke the barrier in 1998—they still represent a significant milestone that distinguishes top-tier talent. So, the search began to identify the next wave of players poised to reach, or even exceed, that benchmark, up to and including the most likely candidate to secure the next \$600 million blockbuster.
Would you like a summary of the top candidates mentioned?
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