When Soto turned down 600 billion won, people said he was crazy
Dec 10, 2024
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Just two years ago, at the age of 23, he kicked a $440 million (about 600 billion won) offer. Soto proved himself right.
The official Major League website MLB.com said on the 9th (Korea time) 'Soto and the Mets agreed to a record 15-year, $765 million contract on Sunday night when the winter meeting begins in Dallas, sources said. The club has not yet made an official announcement. If Soto or the opt-out that can be exercised five years later is not executed and the entire 15-year contract period is completed, the total will increase to $805 million (about KRW 1.15 trillion).
In the summer of 2022, Soto rejected a proposal from the Washington Nationals. In the next 16 months, he was traded twice. But he eventually got what he wanted. 'He knew exactly who he was,' he exclaimed.
Soto made his debut with the Washington Nationals in 2018. At the age of 19, he exploded with 22 home runs and hit a batting average of 0.292 on-base percentage of 0.406 slugging percentage of 0.517. He led the Nationals to the World Series championship the following year.
But Soto doubted the future of the Nationals.
The Athletic said the reason Soto rejected the Nationals' offer was not just because he wanted to be an FA at the age of 26. At the time, Soto and his agent Scott Boras expressed concern about the future of the Nationals, pointing out that the problem was that the Nationals entered rebuilding mode after winning the World Series.
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The Nationals traded Soto to the San Diego Padres after he refused to sign an extension. San Diego traded Soto to the New York Yankees after 2023. Soto proved his worth by achieving a career high in the Yankees uniform in 2024.
Soto showed consistent skills no matter what team he played for. He also played his part without any ups and downs, whether it was the regular season or the postseason. The Athletic said 'Soto finally got what he wanted. No matter where he played, he wasn't under pressure. A contract extended to the 40-year-old season should make him more comfortable. He expected that now he can only focus on baseball.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
