“I am anti-Soto,” Dan Patrick classifies Shohei Ohtani as ‘unique’ compared to Juan Soto’s $600 million buzz

Dan Patrick boldly states he will never agree to sign Juan Soto for $600 million despite buzz in free agency.

“I am anti-Soto,” Dan Patrick classifies Shohei Ohtani as ‘unique’ compared to Juan Soto’s $600 million buzz

Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto [Image Credit: Imago]

Sports commentator and radio personality Dan Patrick recently left a bold remark on Juan Soto’s ongoing free agency buzz. He strongly stated that he would never give Soto a $600 million contract.

Comparing him to Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, Patrick said he’ll back the Japanese star instead. Ohtani signed a major record-breaking contract with LA at $700 million for 10 years. He can both shine as a pitcher and as a batter on the field.

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Ohtani’s talent set him apart from all his competitors in the MLB market. He broke several records since coming to the big league at only 24, debuting with the LA Angels. However, Soto draws a completely different picture for himself.

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Apart from being one of the best players in his field, Soto has hopped on several teams before landing with the New York Yankees. He debuted with the Washington Nationals (2018-22), the San Diego Padres (2022-23), and finally with the Yankees.

While Soto wanted a long-drawn contract with suitable financial value, none of the two teams did so. The Padres would have signed a long-term deal had it not been for the death of chairman Peter Seidler.

Currently, Juan Soto is in his prime and has years of services to offer to any team he plays with. However, finding the right match has been quite a race for the 26-year-old outfielder. Despite all the buzz on free agency, and his asking price reaching heights of $600 million and even $700 million, Dan Patrick is not impressed.

I don’t want him. I am anti-Soto. No, no, not interested. It’s so much money over so many years. I just have no interest in that — none. You know, I got Ohtani. Ohtani’s special; he’s unique; there’s no one like him. Juan Soto, a talented player, bounced around a couple of teams already. [He’s] going to be bouncing around again, and you’re going to be paying him $600 million.

Dan Patrick on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’

For Patrick, if any team wants to pay Soto $600 million or even above, he at least has to prove to be a “gate attraction”. Ohtani is not only talented in baseball, but he also gets wide media coverage.

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Soto on the other hand is an exceptional player, but compared to Ohtani, he is not worth $600 million. Soto has to provide more than just his talents as an outfielder to be worthy of a huge deal like $600 million as per the sports commentator.

Juan Soto’s free agency is heating up the 2024 MLB market

Since the conclusion of the World Series, Juan Soto’s free agency has taken the spotlight of the MLB world. Everyone is curious to know which team he’ll sign up with. Following Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract, many believe Soto has the means to surpass it.

Juan Soto
Juan Soto (Image via Imago)

Dodgers pitcher and current free agent Jack Flaherty says he wants Soto to set a new bar for “normal” players and sign a ground-breaking deal. Unlike Ohtani who is known as a two-way star, Soto is an amazing outfielder.

However, many legends in MLB can be compared and are greater than Soto. Flaherty believes that Soto signing a contract no less than $600 million will set the bar and hype up the market to pay more. He compared Bryce Harper’s $330 million deal in 2019, saying it’s been a few years since then and a new market price should be in place.

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Luke Weaver and Juan Soto

Regardless of contradictory opinions from fans, players, and pundits in MLB, Juan Soto is expected to sign a high-end deal by the end of this year. The current frontrunners of the race are the NY Yankees, NY Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays.