Juan Soto Inked $765 Million Mets Contract After Visit to Team Owner Steve Cohen’s $31 Million Beverly Hills Mansion

Baseball prodigy Juan Soto inked his $765 million Mets contract after attending a meeting with team owner Steve Cohen inside his $31 million Beverly Hills, CA, mansion, according to new reports.

The 26-year-old, who hails from the Dominican Republic, agreed to leave the New York Yankees and join their rival team on a record-breaking contract that was revealed this week—beating out the blockbuster $700 million 2023 deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Japanese sporting star, Shohei Ohtani.

Soto made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Washington Nationals, ultimately helping to propel the team to its first World Series win in 2019. He was then traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022, before moving to the Yankees at the end of 2023.

According to the New York Post, the battle to secure Soto’s skills was won out after a “secret, last-minute meeting” was held at Cohen’s lavish 12,000-square-foot Los Angeles residence, where he hosted the baseball pro along with his agent and several other attendees.

The Post reports that roughly 15 people attended the meeting, adding that Cohen “had Latin food served” and used his private home theater room to make his final pitch to Soto and his team.

Cohen’s sprawling home, which was built in 2014, was originally placed on the market for $35 million in November of that same year, according to Realtor.com® records. However, the sports mogul paid $31 million for the property in February 2015.

Located in the prestigious 90210 zip code, the home lies on the former site of the historic Glenn Ford estate, which was purchased by developer Gala Asher in 2013, before it was torn down to make way for a modern megamansion.

The property sits on a 0.66-acre plot and boasts every amenity a home owner could ever ask for, including a main residence, two guesthouses, nine bedrooms, 11 full bathrooms, a formal living room with a wet bar, and a wine cellar.

Outside, the home has a large saltwater swimming pool, external kitchen, and a sports court, per the original listing.

Meanwhile Soto appears to still be on the hunt for his permanent New York home, having sold off his rather humble Arlington, VA, home in February 2023 for $1.1 million.

As yet, the baseball star is not thought to have snapped up a property in the New York area—although with his newly inked $765 million deal, he will certainly have his pick of pricey homes to choose from.

And with the contract spanning 15 years, it’s likely that Soto will want to find himself a permanent place to call home while he goes to bat for the Mets, squaring off against the Yankees’ superstar, Aaron Judge, who lives in a stunning penthouse apartment in Chelsea.

While there is no official word on the price Judge paid for his new home base, the New York Post reported that two separate units in the building were bought by a single owner for $40 million.

Meanwhile, the MLB’s other highest-paid player, Ohtani, boasts an incredibly impressive property portfolio that includes a staggering $7.85 million mansion in La Canada Flintridge, CA, which is located about 11 miles from the Dodgers Stadium.

Built in 2013, the swanky spot spans 7,327 square feet on an acre lot and includes five en suite bedrooms plus three more baths. It blends “midcentury modern and contemporary design language,” according to the listing.

However, the sanctuary was seemingly a strike out, as the pro athlete apparently never moved in, due to lack of privacy and security, reports indicated.

Thankfully, Ohtani has another home he can enjoy while he figures out his housing in L.A. The 30-year-old is also said to have purchased a plum piece of land on Hawaii’s Big Island, where he plans on building a home from the ground up.

“I recently selected my lot in this new development, and I plan on building my home there in the near future that I will be able to enjoy for many years to come,” Ohtani said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.

He said he plans to spend his offseason there, although he still has an apartment in Tokyo and rents a place in L.A.

The development, which is known as Hapuna Estates, provides each homesite with golf course access and sunset views, the listing notes. Residents are just a short walk from the private fitness facilities, pools, and community center.