Major league sports contracts reached historic heights as baseball, basketball, football, and hockey stars signed landmark deals across North American leagues. Juan Soto ist die Spitze des Gehaltswahnsinns, der in der Major League von den New York Mets 683 Millionen Euro über 15 Jahre erhielt, gemäß sportbild.bild.de.
Juan Soto Sets the Major League Baseball Standard
Soto’s agreement with the Mets averages 45.53 million euros per year over the life of the 15-year pact. The contract includes an additional 36-million-euro kicker if the franchise declines an option to exit the deal after five years. Hedge fund manager Steve Cohen owns the Mets, operating without a hard salary cap while subject to the league’s luxury tax threshold of 218.8 million euros for total roster spending.
Across town, the Los Angeles Dodgers structured a massive contract with Shohei Ohtani to mitigate luxury tax impacts. Ohtani’s 10-year deal totals 625 million euros, but the two-way star collects just 1.8 million euros annually during his playing career, with the remaining deferred payments scheduled at 61 million euros per year from 2034 to 2043.
NBA Extensions Surge Past Previous Benchmarks
Basketball stars matched the financial escalation in the National Basketball Association. Donovan Mitchell signed a four-year, 246-million-euro extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, tying him with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the highest annual salary in league history at 61.5 million euros per season.
Jayson Tatum secured a 280-million-euro package over five years with the Boston Celtics. Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic signed a five-year, 201-million-euro contract, briefly placing him inside the top ten largest NBA deals before sliding to 14th as television revenues driving the 68-billion-euro media rights deal through 2036 fuel further cap growth.
Patrick Mahomes Leads National Football League Valuations
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed an eight-year extension running through 2033. The contract carries a total value of 450 million euros and an annual average of 56.25 million euros, establishing current benchmarks for the National Football League despite Mahomes sustaining a torn cruciate ligament in late 2025.
National Hockey League compensation trails the other major North American properties due to lower overall league revenue, generating roughly seven billion euros or about one-third of the NFL’s total intake. Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar signed a 146-million-euro contract over eight years in August 2026, taking effect for the 2027–28 season and eclipsing Leon Draisaitl’s previous 100-million-euro Edmonton Oilers deal from 2025. Connor McDavid enters the final phase of his contract ahead of the 2027–28 season, leaving future salary milestones for the league’s top scorers yet to be determined.
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