Mets steal Juan Soto from Yankees with staggering contract

DALLAS — Juan Soto sat motionless in the Yankees’ dugout as the Dodgers emptied out onto the field at Yankee Stadium. Soto’s helmet was on and a bat was in his hands for a plate appearance that he would never take.

That image of Soto watching the Dodgers celebrate after Game 5 of the World Series was the unofficial beginning to his trip into free agency, the precursor to all the rumors, meetings and contract negotiations.

And with his decision, it will also go down as his final moment in pinstripes.

Soto signed with the Mets in free agency on Sunday night. His contract is worth $765 million over 15 years, Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported.

That record-setting contract — the largest deal in professional sports history — comes out to $51 million per year. It doesn’t include any deferrals and has escalators that can take it above $800 million, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Soto’s deal with the Mets also features a $75 million signing bonus and an opt-out after five seasons, according to multiple reports.

The Yankees wanted to re-sign Soto, treating the superstar outfielder as a top priority to begin this pivotal offseason. They thought their initial meeting with Soto and agent Scott Boras midway through November went well. Owner Hal Steinbrenner made it clear that he was prepared to battle it out with other high-spending contenders, knowing how much Soto meant to the Yankees and how badly fans wanted him to stay. He even took the Yankees’ offer up to $760 million over 16 years, per Heyman, but it wasn’t enough.

With Soto’s departure, the Yankees need to turn their best backup plan into reality and there’s no time to waste. Other teams like the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers also didn’t get Soto and will be looking to pivot to the next-best options on the open market.

Then again, even if the Yankees were able to re-sign Soto, they had more work to do this winter. Keeping the dynamic duo of Soto and Aaron Judge intact in the middle of their order was the top item on their to-do list, but addressing other holes and weaknesses was also a must.

The money the Yankees were going to use on Soto can now be used to acquire several impact players. First base is a position the Yankees must address this winter. Christian Walker would be a solid fit, a slugger who plays elite defense. A trade would be another way to bring in an upgrade at that position. Can the Yankees put together a package to get Cody Bellinger from the Cubs?

Depending on where Jazz Chisholm Jr. plays next year — either second base or third base — another infielder will need to be imported, unless the Yankees are comfortable with an internal promotion. Prospect Caleb Durbin — a hit machine with elite bat-to-ball skills — has positioned himself for a call-up, but infielders like Alex Bregman are available in free agency. Willy Adames was a possible fit, but he already came off the board, signing a huge deal with the Giants on Saturday.

And as Steinbrenner noted earlier this winter, no team ever has enough pitching. Expect the Yankees to be in the mix at the top of the starting pitching market. The back of their bullpen needs proven reinforcements as well. Ace Corbin Burnes would be the best (and priciest) arm of the bunch. Left-hander Max Fried has been linked to the Yankees as well. The Yankees could look to sign a closer like Tanner Scott. Otherwise, the Yankees can lean on their pitching department to churn out a new wave of hidden gems, cost-effective arms that excel in pinstripes. That’s been their specialty in recent years.

Crossing Soto off the depth chart means the Yankees can move Judge back to right field for the foreseeable future. That opens center field back up for top prospect Jasson Domínguez or a new face if the Yankees can acquire a proven commodity. Either way, left field is still a question mark as well.

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Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.