Insider bets Yankees star will 'get more money than' Shohei Ohtani — with one catch

"I believe he is going to get more money than Ohtani. Now, not more than ($700M). I believe he's going to beat (Ohtani's) present day value, which was ($460M), right? The Ohtani deal, with the deferrals factored in (is $460M). Do I believe Juan Soto will get more than that? A.J., I will bet you right now that he gets more than that," the insider told analyst and former longtime catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

The 47-year-old former two-time All-Star told Rosenthal that he was wondering which team would pay Soto that kind of money, to which the MLB on Fox on-field reporter replied confidently with both the New York Mets and the outfielder's current employer, the New York Yankees.

Rosenthal added that he expects other teams to "enter the fray" too.

"It's Juan Soto, man. He's gonna be 26 next season, as a free agent, going into the market. He's going to do really well," he said, adding that Soto previously turned down a contract offer of 15 years worth $440M. "He's gonna do better than that, and he's gonna do better than Ohtani's present day value."

Ohtani became a free agent for the first time in his career following the 2023 season. The two-way, two-time AL MVP inked a 10-year, $700M deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Dec. 11, but the contract was structured so that $68M per season was deferred until after the deal's conclusion, to be paid out from 2034-2043.

Although he's unable to contribute on the mound in 2024 due to a UCL tear and he's dealt with the distraction of his ex-interpreter's gambling scandal, Ohtani has performed like an MVP again this spring.

He enters Tuesday leading MLB in hits (35), doubles (11), total bases (63) and batting average (.368).

Soto was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Yankees in early December and the two sides later agreed to a one-year, $31M deal covering the 2024 campaign.

The three-time All-Star led the league in walks (132) for the third straight year in 2023 and hit a career-high 35 home runs.

Soto is an early candidate for 2024 AL MVP and has arguably been the biggest reason why New York has been able to withstand the loss of injured AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole and sit at 15-8.

While other Yankees bats like Aaron Judge have gotten off to slow starts, Soto has recorded five home runs, 20 RBI, a .322 batting average and a sensational 19:14 strikeout to walk ratio. The former NL batting champion also paces the junior circuit in on-base percentage (.439).