Juan Soto is joining the New York Mets on a historic contract just one season after Shohei Ohtani broke the all-time record with his deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But not all record-breaking agreements are created equal.

Ohtani inked a 10-year contract worth $700 million total to join the Dodgers, agreeing to defer $680 million of the deal that Los Angeles can pay between 2034-43. Soto on Sunday, December 8, signed a 15-year deal with the Mets for $765 million.

Soto just signed what is technically the richest contract in MLB history and the history of American professional sports, even though he will earn a $51 million annual average salary compared to Ohtani’s $70 million average paycheck.

But the most significant difference between the two contracts is that New York will not defer any of Soto’s money, which means no immediate relief for the Mets that would resemble the salary cap freedom the Dodgers received after locking in Ohtani over the next decade.

“Soto’s deal includes no deferrals, one opt-out clause (after the 2029 season) and a $75 million signing bonus, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand,” per MLB News. “The Mets’ highest offer passed that of the [New York] Yankees, who rode Soto’s bat to the World Series in 2024 and offered him $760 million over 16 years, per a source.”