How much money will Juan Soto get paid in his next contract?

The season is over; the Dodgers are the champions, while the Yankees fans found their new hero at the batter’s box. Juan Soto will now enter free agency, and speculation rises over what it might take for the Yankees to secure him long-term before he hits the open market.

Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, has historically pushed clients to free agency to maximize their value, but extensions aren’t entirely off the table, as seen with Jose Altuve’s case.

What money are we talking about in the case of Juan Soto’s free agency?

For Soto, an extension would require a staggering figure—potentially setting the baseline at $500 million or more. If the Yankees proposed a figure near that, Boras could argue that this sets a “floor” and gauge how the market might respond.

If $500 million is the starting point, imagine what Soto could command in an open-market scenario. A free estimation could suggest Soto could attract offers between $550 million and $600 million.

Soto is expected to capitalize on his youth in free agency, entering the market at just 26 with impressive achievements. This makes him one of the most desirable free agents in recent history. Everybody agrees that the Yankees must present a near-record offer to ‘buy out’ Soto’s free agency rights—essentially preempting what any team might pay without market competition.

Soto’s recent stellar season only bolsters his position, making a run at free agency appear all the more rewarding. Whether or not the Yankees attempt a preemptive strike, all signs indicate Soto’s journey to free agency will draw widespread, fierce competition.