The Washington Nationals and Juan Soto were unable to come to an agreement when the 23-year-old outfielder rejected the Nationals’$440 million 15-year contract. The proposed offer would have made Soto the highest-paid baseball player in Major League Baseball history.
Soto is a baseball prodigy, winning his first World Series at 21 years old. With 118 career home runs and a career batting average of .293, it is no surprise the Nationals would want to keep the two-time All-Star.
Even with Soto, the Nationals remain at the bottom of the National League East, trailing behind four other teams — one of which is the Miami Marlins, who are also under .500. Although the Nationals’ World Series win was only a couple of years ago, with their current record, the Nationals’ glory days seem like a thing of the past.
On the other hand, Soto’s glory days seem to have just begun. Soto became the 2022 Home Run Derby champion after defeating Julio Rodriguez in the final Home Run Derby round. Soto is the second player for the Washington Nationals to win the Home Run Derby. In 2018, former Nationals right fielder, Bryce Harper, won the derby.
Victories like these are why the Nationals love Juan Soto.
Scott Boras, Soto’s agent, has a long history of giving his clients the chance to win. Boras has been behind some of the biggest baseball contracts in major league history representing players such as Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Harper.
“Juan Soto wants the chance to win… Juan has mentioned to me that he wants to make sure he's working for a club that's going to compete annually,” Boras said in an interview.
With the Nationals trailing behind in the National League East and Soto rejecting $440 million, Soto’s time in D.C. may be coming to an end.
After five years with the Nationals, Soto’s decision to reject the Nationals’ offer may have a monumental impact on the future success of the Nationals.
