Marvelous Washington Nationals player According to Ken Rosenthal, Juan Soto recently declined a contract extension offer that would have made him the highest-paid player in baseball history. The Nationals reportedly intend to consider trade offers for Soto after he turned down a massive 15-year agreement for $440 million. Soto was the NL MVP runner-up last season.
Before the owners’ lockout, Soto reportedly turned down a 13-year, $350 million agreement, but the Nationals have significantly increased their offer. However, the average salary for top athletes nowadays is close to $30 million. Soto is a client of Scott Boras, who works hard to get his best players into free agency as frequently as feasible.
Soto, like Alex Rodriguez in 2001, is poised to break contract records when he enters the open market after 2024 given his age and production (A-Rod was also a Boras client).
The Nationals won the World Series in 2019, but since then, they’ve plummeted and turned into one of baseball’s worst teams, losing 109 games so far this season after losing 109 games last year. Even while it seems doubtful the Nationals will contend again before Soto becomes a free agent, Washington does not have to deal with him right away because he still has two more seasons under team control. And the earlier they sell him, the higher the price they may demand (and the less injury risk they assume).
A player as talented and young as Soto has been traded before Miguel Cabrera. In December 2007, the Marlins dealt Dontrelle Willis and a 24-year-old Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers in exchange for six prospects, including Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller. At the time, Maybin and Miller were regarded as two of the top 10 to 15 baseball prospects. Amazingly, Cabrera is still competing while those two have lengthy and successful careers and have since retired. When Cabrera was two years out from becoming a free agent, he was traded.
Should the Nationals seriously consider trade proposals, Soto will be sought after by nearly every team in the league. Along with up-and-coming teams like the Orioles and Rangers, major-market contenders like the Dodgers and Yankees will be in the mix.
In the end, Soto is among the top players in the world and would improve any squad. He is an all-around franchise player who is worth a sizable prospect package to acquire.
Soto, who will be 24 in October, has a batting line of.247/.405/.490 this year, 19 home runs, and 79 more walks than strikeouts (54). He is among the best players of all time at his age with a career batting average of.292/.427/.540.
