Star outfielder Juan Soto's historic contract with the New York Mets shined a light on the discrepancy between big-city franchises and smaller-market teams.
For example, Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun determined that Soto's 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets exceeds the Baltimore Orioles' payroll for the next eight years:
Going even further, radio host Josh Rowntree found that Soto's deal is larger than the entire Pittsburgh Pirates payroll for the next decade:
ESPN's Jeff Passan noted that Soto's contract can reach above $800 million with escalators and contains no deferments.