Washington Nationals star outfielder Juan Soto is headed to his second straight MLB All-Star game next week. He also will compete in the Home Run Derby a year after setting a record for longest Derby home run. Yet, before Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, the 23-year old was answering questions about his contract talks with the Nationals.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal dropped a huge nugget, reporting the Nationals are open to trading Soto after he turned down a contract offer for $440M over 15 years.
The deal would have been the largest in MLB history, trumping the $426M over 12 years that Mike Trout received with the Los Angeles Angels. However, at $29.3M, the annual average value would have placed him 20th in the league.
By all accounts of reporters at Nationals Park, Soto expressed his frustration in a somber tone that his rejection was leaked to the public.
“It feels really bad to see stuff going out like that because I’m a guy who, my side, keeps everything quiet and try to keep it to them and me,” Soto said, per MASN Sports’ Mark Zuckerman. “They just make the decision and do what they need to do.”
Soto’s latest rejection is his third since last winter. He is under team control through the 2024 season. Yet, the fact is he’s turned down offers from $350M-$440M. It may be in the Nationals’ best interest to entertain the idea of trading the phenom. Trading him now would bring more value than waiting for him to become a rental.
The Nationals are in a clear-cut rebuild, standing with the worst-record in MLB at 30-62. The rebuilding process is supposed to be centered around Soto. Yet, the price to retain Soto is unclear or at least unattainable for the club.
Rosenthal added: “From the Nationals perspective, if Soto isn’t going to sign this kind of deal, he might never sign.”
His expectation is Soto will be traded.
However, Soto insists he wants to stay with the Nationals and he likes living in Washington, D.C.
“For me, this is the team I’ve been (with) since, what, 2015?” Soto said. “I’ve been with this team, and I feel good with it. When I get to know the city more, it feels great. Why should I need to change?”
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