NEW YORK – Juan Soto and the New York Yankees agreed Thursday to a $31 million, one-year contract, breaking Shohei Ohtani’s record for an arbitration-eligible player, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.
All 10 Yankees eligible for arbitration reached agreements on the day players and teams were set to exchange proposed salaries. Other Yankees striking deals were second baseman Gleyber Torres ($14.2 million); newly acquired outfielders Alex Verdugo ($8.7 million) and Trent Grisham ($5.5 million), right-handers Clay Holmes ($6 million), Jonathan Loaisiga ($2.5 million) and Clarke Schmidt ($2,025,000); left-handers Nestor Cortes ($3.95 million) and Victor González ($860,000); and catcher Jose Trevino ($2.73 million).
Soto had a $23 million salary last year in his only full season with the San Diego Padres and can become a free agent after this season, when he will be 26.
Soto hit .275 with 35 homers, 109 RBIs and a .930 OPS last year with the Padres, who obtained him from Washington on Aug. 2, 2022, after he turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer from the Nationals. Soto was acquired by the Yankees from the Padres last month.
Ohtani played last season under a $30 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, a deal agreed to in October 2022. He became a free agent after last year’s World Series and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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