Washington Nationals star Juan Soto was on hand from the site of the 2022 MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles on Monday.
One of the best young players in the game, Soto’s presence in Southern Claifornia comes amid rumors that he could be dealt ahead of the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline.
The outfielder and his organization failed to come to terms on a contract extension, leading to Washington putting him on the trade block.
With super-agent Scott Boras standing right behind him, Soto opened up about the trade talks. “It’s pretty frustrating. It feels really bad. But at the end of the day, we just have to keep playing, the All-Star said, via SNY.
The interesting dynamic here was Boras’ presence right by Soto as the star outfielder made this comment. The two could also be seen embracing New York Mets All-Star closer Edwin Diaz, which won’t cause anyone to freak out in the Big Apple given the Mets’ interest in acquiring Soto.
“I’ve been a National since day one, why would I want to change?
Juan Soto on trade rumors
Soto and his camp turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension offer from the Nationals recently, leading to continued speculation that he could be dealt here in the next couple weeks.
Related: Ideal Juan Soto trade scenarios
Will the Washington Nationals trade Juan Soto?
It must be noted that a blockbuster of this ilk can take some time. Soto, 23, is under team control through two more arbitration seasons. The Nationals don’t have to rush into a trade here in the next couple weeks.
Recent suggestions are that trade talks will be akin to what we’re seeing with Kevin Durant in the NBA. That is to say, protracted and without any real feeling that something can get done in short order.
- Juan Soto contract: 1 year, $17.1 million
Soto signed this deal with Washington back in March as a way to avoid arbitration. Making his second consecutive All-Star appearance, it’s rather clear that Soto is vastly underpaid in the grand sheme of things.
Thus far this season, the Dominican native is hitting .250 with 20 homers, 43 RBI and a league-leading 79 walks. He boasts a .901 OPS after boasting a .999 mark in 2021 and a 1.185 mark in 2020.
As for Washington’s contract offer, the $29.3 million average annual salary would rank 15th among MLB players. That, too, would seem to be below market.
In addition to the Mets, a number of teams have been linked to Juan Soto since it became public record that he could be had. That includes the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.