A superstar Scott Boras client, just 25 years old at the end of the regular season, was the most coveted free agent in baseball. That December, at the winter meetings in Dallas, he signed a record contract that rattled the industry. The player had just led his team to a deep postseason run that ended in defeat at Yankee Stadium. His departure clouded their immediate future.
All of that applied to Alex Rodriguez and the Seattle Mariners in 2000. A generation later, it’s the same story, word for word, with Juan Soto and the New York Yankees.
Back then, the Texas Rangers gave 10 years and $252 million to Rodriguez, who had 189 career homers and a .934 on-base plus slugging percentage. This time, the New York Mets gave 15 years and $765 million to Soto, who has 201 home runs and a .953 OPS. Mets owner Steve Cohen will unveil his prize at a Citi Field news conference Thursday.
