WNew York Mets star outfielder Juan Soto continues to enjoy another strong season. Soto remains the franchise batter. Yet baseball, ever the ever-changing sport, wants to alter the pay structure. In December 2024, the team signed him to a 15-year, $765 million contract. Owners want to$ establish a 245.3 million payroll ceiling and a $171.2 million floor for the 2027 season. As a result, Soto’s salary would count towards 20% of the Mets’ payroll. Soto sat down with The Athletic to discuss his opinion on the finances.
GettyNew York Mets OF Juan Soto during a June 1, 2026 game against the Seattle Mariners.
“I don’t think that’s right, to have a cap,” Soto said this week. “Baseball is doing great. We’ve been increasing every year. It’s been great for baseball. We are in the best moment in baseball right now in all kinds of ways. Why should we have a cap?”
In all honesty, MLB owners are all making millions. The problem arises when not every team reinvests revenue into payroll. The Mets’ owner, Steve Cohen, was a billionaire before he signed ownership papers. Additionally, while baseball is a revenue stream, it’s also a passion hobby. Cohen stated that his main goal is to win a World Series; money isn’t an issue.
Soto Receives Support from a Teammate
No player wants a salary cap. In all honesty, who wants a limit to the amount of money they can earn in a year? Fans, especially those from small markets, whine about the disparity. Mets MLBPA representative pitcher David Peterson backs up Soto and offers his own take.
“It’s ridiculous. It works in basketball in that way because they don’t have as many guys, so you have a lot fewer guys for the pot to go around,” Peterson said. “And that’s a league where one or two people on the team pretty much sell the team. That’s a lot harder to do in baseball.”
In the NBA, teams can possess up to 15 full-time players and three players on two-way contracts. A two-way contract is a binding agreement between the NBA team and its G League affiliate. Baseball employs 25 players. A salary cap works in the NBA because, as Peterson mentioned, there are not enough players.
MLB Takes a Hard Line
When asked to explain their side of the proposal, MLB spokesman Glen Caplin offered up the corporate take.
“The biggest issue we need to solve next to continue to grow the game off the field is fixing the payroll disparity unseen in any other major U.S. sport. Ultimately, the game is about hope and competition, and too many fans in too many markets have too little hope that their team has a fair chance to win. Fans overwhelmingly support a salary cap and floor like in the other leagues.”
While fans want teams like the Mets to align financially with franchises like the Athletics, a major difference is the owner investment. To Caplin’s point, giving fans what they want hinders players’ earning power. How will the players respond to that? Will the next collective bargaining agreement be ugly? How will the fallout affect the game? In addition, what happens to the current contracts?
Mets OF Juan Soto Unleashes Blunt Response to ‘Ridiculous’ MLB Salary Plan