Even though Juan Soto has already cemented himself as a Washington Nationals icon due to his heroics in the 2019 postseason, the young outfielder is sparking speculation that he might not see his future there long-term based on some social media activity.
The Nationals are in New York to play the Mets this week, prompting Soto to post a rather standard photo of himself looking out over Citi Field. It was the hashtags in the caption that garnered attention, however, including #bigapple, #dream and, perhaps most notably, #future.
If Soto does want to play in New York, he’s going to have to wait a while. He’s under team control with the Nationals through the 2024 season. That’s also assuming the Nationals don’t try to sign him to an extension first. Unless Soto really is very unhappy with the organization or has his heart set on testing free agency, there’s no reason he can’t stay.
We do know that the Yankees and Mets would probably love to have Soto, and Mets owner Steve Cohen has made no secret about how far he’s willing to go to improve his team. If Soto wants to play in New York, it’s easy to see how he’d have options. That said, it may just be a meaningless hashtag on Soto’s part, so it’s hardly worth panicking about if you’re a Nationals fan.
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