It doesn’t have to be just a $765 million deal. Even before the point where Juan Soto can opt out and the New York Mets can up the ante by increasing his early salary from $51 million per year to $55 million (a choice he’ll only have after the 2029 World Series), there are ways for Soto to add more cash to the vault.
It’s not uncommon for players of different magnitudes to have incentive based rewards in their contracts. For example, Marcus Semien gets an extra $10K for winning a Gold Glove. A.J. Minter gets $50K if he wins a Cy Young.
Soto’s contract, for as large as it is, has some of the pricier gifts if he reaches particular personal milestones.
The extra cash Juan Soto can earn from the Mets based on different awards
Soto and the Mets covered just about every outcome, some feeling more likely than not. These are the different major awards he can win and the money that comes with it.
All-Star: $100k
All-MLB: $100k
Gold Glove: $100k
Silver Slugger: $150k
LCS MVP: $150k
WS MVP: $350k
Hank Aaron Award: $100k
An All-Star selection would normally seem like a piece of cake for Soto, but last year's slow start prevented him from getting in. He did make the All-MLB team and earned a Silver Slugger to put an extra $250K in his pocket. He didn’t come close to winning a Gold Glove. Without the playoffs available, there was no LCS or World Series MVP to compete for.
The Hank Aaron Award is usually given to the MVP as well, but is specific to offensive players. In a situation where a pitcher wins the MVP, that’s when someone might not win them both.
The Mets, of course, had that elusive award covered as well. His contract pays him varying amounts based on where he finishes.
NL MVP
1st: $500k
2nd: $350k
3rd-5th: $150k
A third-place finish in 2025 gave Soto another $150K bonus. Added with the All-MLB selection and Silver Slugger, Soto pocketed an additional $400K last year.
Likely more about the recency of the deal, the bonuses are far greater than what the Mets would pay Francisco Lindor for achieving many of the same goals. Winning the NL MVP for Lindor only equates to a $50K bonus. A World Series MVP for Lindor, possibly the greatest single-achievement a Mets player could have, is only $100K in comparison to Soto’s $350K.
No other Mets player under contract has financial compensation if they were to win the MVP. The least attainable of all is probably Freddy Peralta getting an extra $50K if he wins the Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award.
