Washington Nationals

Juan Soto has been open about his unhappiness at his contract talks with the Washington Nationals becoming public.

On Friday, the All-Star outfielder retweeted and deleted a Derek Jeter tweet about loyalty amid rumors he could be moved prior to the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Juan Soto making his feelings known 👀 pic.twitter.com/rmu9WEP84H

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 22, 2022

The Jeter quote was from Episode 2 of his ESPN documentary series The Captain.

Soto has become the primary focus of MLB leading up to the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on July 16 that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo would listen to offers for the 23-year-old superstar after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension from the club.

After the negotiations were made public, Soto addressed the situation while speaking to reporters during All-Star festivities on Monday in Los Angeles.

"I try to keep my stuff private and not try to throw stuff out there," Soto said. "It feels really bad. But at the end of the day, we just have to keep playing. It doesn't matter what's happening. A couple weeks ago, they were saying they will never trade me. And now all these things come out. You don't know what to trust."

It could be argued that Washington would actually be better off by trading Soto right now. He's certainly on the short list of best players in Major League Baseball and, at 23 years old, should stay at an elite level for several more years.

Trading a player like Soto with 2.5 years of team control remaining before he can become a free agent after the 2024 season would be ridiculous in most cases.

But the Nationals roster has been in shambles since winning the 2019 World Series. Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon and Max Scherzer were either traded or left via free agency. Stephen Strasburg has only thrown 30.1 innings since the start of 2020. Patrick Corbin has a 5.61 ERA in 61 starts since 2020.

All of this has led to the Nationals' current situation where they have the worst record in MLB (31-63). MLB.com ranked the club's farm system No. 23 overall ahead of this season, with just two top-100 prospects.

Soto would presumably bring back at least three or four high-level prospects on the verge of reaching the big leagues.

It's not advisable to trade a player like Soto because the odds of anyone the Nationals get in a trade turning out to be as good or better than him are low. He has a .293/.427/.541 slash line with 118 homers in 555 games since making his MLB debut in 2018.

The Washington Nationals didn't charter a flight for Juan Soto to attend the 2022 MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles this week, but they did ask the Atlanta Braves if he could travel to the city with their All-Stars following their game Sunday, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

Atlanta didn't let Soto and Nats manager Dave Martinez fly on its team plane to the All-Star Game, as the flight was full, per Heyman. Soto ended up flying to L.A. on a commercial flight.

Heyman added, "the Braves were smart avoid any suggestion of impropriety via extra time with an available superstar" amid trade rumors.

Last weekend, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension from the club and that the team would entertain trade offers for the superstar.

Afterward, the Nationals did not charter a flight for Soto to attend this year's All-Star Game. Soto's agent, Scott Boras, told Sports Illustrated:

"The Atlanta Braves arrived (in Los Angeles) five hours earlier than Juan Soto did. You know why? Because their team chartered a plane. Juan Soto had to fly on a commercial flight and wait in an airport for two hours and get here at 1:30 in the morning and have to compete in the Home Run Derby. And that’s something that Major League Baseball did not take care of and that’s something that the Washington Nationals did not take care of.”

Despite a delay in his travels to L.A., Soto went on to win the Home Run Derby.

The 23-year-old is expected to become one of the highest-paid players in baseball on his next contract.

Seven teams have made preliminary offers for Soto, including the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and New York Mets, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

The 23-year-old two-time All-Star is on a Hall of Fame track after four-plus campaigns. This season, he's hitting .250/.405/.497 with 20 home runs, 43 RBI, five stolen bases and 79 walks in 91 games.

The MLB trade deadline is August 2, and if the Nationals don't receive an offer they view as worthy of Soto's value, they will be content to hold on to him, as he is under team control for two more seasons via arbitration eligibility.

Any team that is willing to trade for Soto must also be willing to acquire starting pitcher Patrick Corbin. According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, the Nats want "multiple major leaguers and top prospects" and to "offload" Corbin's contract.

Seven teams have made preliminary offers to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Juan Soto, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The New York Mets, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners are reportedly all involved in the race to acquire Soto.

Washington began entertaining trade proposals after Soto rejected the team's offer of a 15-year, $440 million contract extension, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Saturday. The 23-year-old cannot become a free agent until after the 2024 season.

According to Nightengale, the Nationals will wait to get the right deal instead of rushing before the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Nats are "intent on trying to find the team that will pay the enormous price."

It would take "four or more worthwhile pieces" to land Soto, per Heyman. The Mets might have to pay a bigger premium coming from the same division as Washington.

The right fielder is certainly deserving of the cost, as he sports an impressive resume just five years into his career. He already has two All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger awards, one batting title and a World Series title. He finished second in voting for NL MVP last season and is averaging 34 home runs and 104 RBI per 162 games.

The teams involved in the sweepstakes are all in the playoff hunt and could get over the hump toward a championship with the addition of Soto.

Seattle could be an interesting match after entering the All-Star break with a 14-game winning streak to get to 51-42. The squad also had the No. 2 farm system in baseball coming into the year, per MLB.com, providing plenty of ammunition for a potential trade.

The Dodgers, Padres and Giants are also in the mix with high stakes. One of those teams adding Soto would create a massive swing in the NL West and keep him away from division rivals.

The Yankees are almost always involved whenever a high-profile player hits the market, and the addition of Soto could make the majors' best team more dangerous. It could also help soften the blow if Aaron Judge leaves in free agency this offseason.

Major League Baseball's Aug. 2 trade deadline is approaching, and there isn't a bigger name on the market than Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto.

The 23-year-old is fresh off winning the Home Run Derby crown, won the NL batting title in 2020 and already has one World Series ring.

Young players as accomplished as Soto simply don't become available often. However, the Nationals are at least entertaining the idea of moving him before the deadline.

At 31-63, Washington is in position to be a deadline seller. It also hasn't been able to lock up Soto to a long-term deal. He's under team control through the 2024 season, but he recently rejected a 15-year, $440 million offer, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Soto, who is batting .250 with 20 home runs in a down year, would be an asset on just about any club. The list of teams that would like to make a run at him is likely long. However, the timing isn't right for every team.

For starters, he isn't going to come cheaply. According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, the Nationals and others around the league believe that Washington's return will be the "biggest haul in MLB history."

A handful of low-level prospects and aging veterans isn't going to get a deal done. From Bowden:

"They have made it clear they will make a trade only if it positively impacts their organization in both the long term and short term. In return for Soto, the Nationals want multiple major leaguers and top prospects but also to offload the bad contract of pitcher Patrick Corbin, according to sources."

Teams that have already gone all-in on a win-now approach aren't likely to have the required capital while still fielding a roster that can compete over the next few seasons. Soto doesn't make a whole lot of sense for basement-dwellers like the Cincinnati Reds or Oakland Athletics, either.

As he's shown this season with Washington, Soto is great but isn't enough to make an underwhelming squad competitive.

There is a sweet spot of teams for which a Soto trade would be logical—teams that appear to only be opening their contention windows.

The New York Mets, who lead the NL East after five straight playoff-less seasons, are right there at the top. Owner Steve Cohen has shown that he isn't afraid to spend—New York went out and got Max Scherzer on a massive three-year, $130 million deal. The Mets also have some intriguing potential trade chips.

These include All-Star utility man Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty and top prospect Francisco Alvarez.

Naturally, the Mets would have to keep enough key pieces in place, but adding Soto would cement them as perhaps the favorite in the National League.

The Cleveland Guardians aren't as close to contention as the Mets, but after missing the playoffs in 2021, they have jumped back into respectability this season. The Guardians are two games back in the AL Central and have a talented young roster poised to compete in the next couple of seasons.

As The Athletic's Zack Meisel pointed out, Cleveland also has a loaded farm system that could make for serious trade capital:

"The Guardians boast one of the best systems in baseball, with a league-high eight top-100 prospects, per MLB Pipeline’s latest update. And much of their well-regarded talent is in the upper levels of the minors, so the players have more concrete track records than, say, an intriguing-but-unproven 19-year-old at Low A. Perhaps that would appeal to Washington."

As Soto's agent, Scott Boras, pointed out, any trade wouldn't be about the 2022 season alone.

"It depends on if there's an owner out there that is all about winning," Boras told The Show: A NY Post Baseball Podcast (h/t Audacy Sports). "Remember, you get Juan Soto for one, two, three postseason runs and have complete control over him.

The fact that Soto could fully open a three-year window is exactly why rising teams like Cleveland and New York should be interested—you could also include the San Francisco Giants, who opened their playoff window last year.

The question is whether one of these teams will be willing to eventually make Soto the richest player in baseball. That outcome appears inevitable, and this is why traditional spenders like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers will continue to be linked to Soto—and may well end up with him.

This is a question only team ownership and management can answer, though they won't be obligated to make a decision in the immediate future. Soto could help chase a championship before then, and rising teams should be taking a hard look at that possibility over the next two weeks.

Where the proverbial window is cracked, Soto could help fling it open.

The Washington Nationals are listening to offers for Juan Soto, and it appears the club wants to shed the contract of another player in any potential trade that includes the star right fielder.

In exchange for Soto, the Nats want "multiple major leaguers and top prospects" and to "offload" the contract of starting pitcher Patrick Corbin, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden.

Corbin and the Nationals agreed to a six-year, $140 million deal in December 2018. He will not become a free agent until after the 2024 season, and his salary will reach $35.4 million in 2024, per Spotrac.

It's no surprise the Nationals are looking for any team interested in Soto to also acquire Corbin and his contract.

Corbin has spent the last four seasons with Washington, and he hasn't been particularly good. In 19 starts this year, he is 4-12 with a 5.87 ERA, a 1.70 WHIP and 91 strikeouts in 99.2 innings.

In 94 starts with the Nationals, he is 29-42 with a 4.73 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP and 532 strikeouts across 539 innings.

In addition, he is 33 years old and will be 35 by the time he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

If the Nationals trade Corbin, they will rely on Josiah Gray, Erick Fedde, Paolo Espino and Anibal Sanchez. Stephen Strasburg and Jackson Tetreault are on the 60-day injured list.

Soto, meanwhile, is available after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million offer, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. A number of teams have already been linked to the 23-year-old, including the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Soto is expected to command an extension that could be worth $500 million.

The Dominican is one of the best players in baseball and has a bright future. He is a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, Home Run Derby champion, World Series champion and batting title winner.

The MLB trade deadline is set for Aug. 2, and the Nationals are seemingly in no rush to trade Soto, who is under team control through 2024 with two more seasons of arbitration eligibility. So, it could be a while until he, and possibly Corbin, is moved.

While the Washington Nationals are entertaining trades for Juan Soto, they reportedly won't give away their 23-year-old superstar at a discount.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Nationals are "intent" on finding a team that will "pay the enormous price" for Soto.

The price, according to Heyman, is "four or more worthwhile pieces."

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Saturday that the Nationals will entertain trade offers for Soto after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension.

The deal would have been the richest in MLB history by total value, surpassing Mike Trout's 12-year, $426.5 million extension with the Los Angeles Angels signed in 2019.

Going by average annual salary, Washington's offer would pay Soto $29.3 million per season. That would rank 15th in MLB, just ahead of Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale ($29 million per season).

Heyman previously reported that unconfirmed speculation around MLB is the Nationals will request a team's top four prospects and/or young major leaguers in return for Soto. They could also gauge a club's willingness to take on the remainder of Patrick Corbin's contract.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Monday on SportsCenter that the Nationals will trade Soto before the Aug. 2 trade deadline if they can't agree on an extension.

Finding a team willing to meet Washington's asking price could be a challenge. He is earning $17.1 million this year. Next season, the two-time All-Star could break Mookie Betts' record $27 million deal to avoid arbitration with the Boston Red Sox in 2020.

The Red Sox traded Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers one month later. He signed a 12-year, $365 million contract extension with the Dodgers shortly after the trade.

Trading Soto could kick-start a rebuild for the Nationals. He is arguably the most valuable trade commodity in MLB. He's under team control for the rest of this season and for two additional years before he can become a free agent after the 2024 season.

Getting appropriate value in a trade could be difficult for Washington. Soto is only 23 years old, younger than both reigning Rookie of the Year winners—Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena (27) and Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (25)—and Baltimore Orioles rookie catcher Adley Rutschman (24).

The Dominican superstar posted an on-base percentage over .400 and slugged over .500 in each of his first four seasons. He's got a .405 on-base percentage and .497 slugging percentage through 91 games in 2022.

Since winning the 2019 World Series, the Nationals have been one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball. Their 31-63 record this season is the worst in MLB, and they are on pace to finish last in the NL East for the third consecutive year.

Juan Soto's agent, Scott Boras, told reporters Monday during a press conference that the superstar had to fly commercial to the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

"All I know here is that the Atlanta Braves and Juan Soto played a game yesterday. The Atlanta Braves arrived here five hours earlier than Juan Soto did. You know why? Because their team chartered a plane. Juan Soto had to fly on a commercial flight and wait in an airport for two hours and get here at 1:30 in the morning and have to compete in the Home Run Derby," he said. "And that's something that Major League Baseball did not take care of and that's something that the Washington Nationals did not take care of."

That revelation came in the wake of Soto reportedly turning down a 15-year, $440 million offer from the Washington Nationals, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, who also reported that the team "plans to entertain trade offers for him."

Soto, being the superstar he is, went on to win the Derby anyway:

The #HRDerby was epic. pic.twitter.com/uRB7M3Bv9D

— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2022

The 23-year-old is one of the game's most ascendant young talents, hitting .250 with 20 homers and 43 RBI in 91 games this season and an OPS of .901. Players of his caliber don't come around often, so even he was taken aback when the trade rumors regarding him surfaced.

"A couple weeks ago, they were saying they'd never trade me, and now all these things are coming out,” he told reporters. "It feels really uncomfortable. You don't know what to trust. But at the end of the day, it's out of my hands, with what decision they make."

One thing is certain—if he gets traded, his new team will make sure he doesn't have to fly commercial to join them.

Washington Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg is reportedly set to miss the remainder of the 2022 season.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the expectation is that a nerve issue will keep Strasburg out for the rest of the campaign, although he won't need to repeat the surgery he underwent last year for thoracic outlet syndrome.

Strasburg, who will turn 34 on Wednesday, has seen his career riddled with injuries:

• 2010: Season ended prematurely after a torn UCL, costing him all but five starts in the 2011 campaign.
• 2015-16: A number of injuries cost him several games in both seasons, and a partially torn pronator tendon ultimately cut his 2016 campaign short. 
• 2018: A number of injuries held him to just 22 starts. 
• 2020: Season cut short after just two appearances, needed carpal tunnel surgery. 
• 2021: Only made five starts, season ended that June due to thoracic outlet syndrome. Had surgery that July.

Strasburg returned to the mound this June but lasted just one start before heading to the injured list yet again, giving up seven runs and eight hits in 4.2 innings.

When healthy, Strasburg has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. He's a three-time All-Star and was the 2019 World Series MVP. He was so good that year (18-6, 3.32 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 251 strikeouts in 209 regular-season innings; 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 36.1 postseason innings) that the Nationals signed him to a seven-year, $245 million extension.

He's made just eight starts since.

The Nationals are far closer to rebuilding than contention, so Strasburg's injury woes this season aren't going to hurt a playoff push, since one isn't coming. But it has meant that if the Nationals plan to be sellers, one intriguing arm they could dangle in front of contenders probably isn't an option.

What do you mean Juan Soto is available on Major League Baseball's trade market?

Good question, so let's start there as we seek to answer all the burning queries surrounding the Washington Nationals' superstar right fielder.

A Soto trade was a long-shot speculative affair just two months ago—but not anymore. As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Saturday, Washington "plans to entertain trade offers" for the 23-year-old after he rejected a contract extension that would have paid him $440 million over 15 years.

For his part, Soto was less than pleased with this development.

"A couple weeks ago, they were saying they will never trade me, and now all these things came out," he said ahead of Monday's Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium, via Matthew Neschis of the New York Post. "It feels really uncomfortable. You don't know what to trust. But at the end of the day, it's out of my hands of what decision they make."

For what it's worth, though, it remains far from certain that this will lead to a trade.

Take it from Jon Heyman of the Post, who spoke to one rival executive who likened the situation to that of Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets. Though Durant differs from Soto in that he publicly wants out, the two players have at least one commonality: their trade value may be beyond what teams are able or willing to pay.

But before we get into that, let's back up a bit.

---

Have the Nationals Made Soto Their Best Offer?

Because Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported that the club isn't planning to go beyond $440 million, at least "in the near future," it seems so, yes.

As Soto told Enrique Rojas of ESPN, before MLB began its 99-day lockout Dec. 2, Washington offered him a 13-year deal and $350 million, the latter of which would have landed Soto close to the two richest contracts on record:

• 1. RF Mookie Betts, LAD: 12 years, $365 million
• 2. CF Mike Trout, LAA: 10 years, $360 million

It's to the Nationals' credit that they upped their bid by nearly $100 million. Though the average annual value was "only" $29.3 million, Rosenthal noted that this pact was not watered down by deferrals.

Had Soto accepted, he would have forgone reaching free agency after 2024 and committed himself to Washington through his age-38 season. Basically, a National for life.

---

How Could He Turn Down a Deal Like That?

We don't want to put words in Soto's mouth, but something he said Saturday was telling:

" ... And then I think once he knows that, then he’ll be ready to sit down and talk whenever they choose to talk.”

Feels very relevant today.

Juan Soto today: "I got the taste of [winning], so I want to win every year. I don’t want to keep losing. I hate losing."

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) July 16, 2022

Losing, of course, is something the Nationals have been doing a lot of lately. Since the franchise won its first World Series in 2019—a process that was very much aided by Soto's .927 OPS and five home runs in the postseason—it has the third-worst winning percentage in baseball. The rebuild that the club began last year is likely years away from being finished.

Moreover, it's reasonable to believe that Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, think they can do better than 15 years and $440 million, be it via an extension with a different team or a free-agent contract on the 2024-25 market.

---

Is He That Good, Though?

Yes. Next question.

---

No, Seriously. Is He Really That Good?

Yes, seriously. He's really that good.

Among his contemporaries, Soto is the only hitter in MLB with more than 2,000 plate appearances and an on-base percentage over .400 since 2018. Among his all-time peers, only Ted Williams also posted an OBP north of .425 with more than 100 home runs by his age-23 season.

Soto did come down to earth for a while there, as he had a .362 OBP and 14 homers in his first 72 games of 2022. Yet he then hit .411/.577/.786 with six blasts in 19 games leading up to the All-Star break, and he kept right on slugging to win the Home Run Derby on Monday.

The moment Juan Soto became a #HRDerby champ! pic.twitter.com/VoSXTeczj9

— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2022

Put another way, he remains the best hitter in baseball today and is on track to be an inner-circle Hall of Famer.

---

OK, Fine. But Is a Midseason Trade Even Feasible?

It'll come down to the price the Nats set and how willing they are to budge. If this speculation by Heyman is any indication, the former is going to be gigantic, and there won't be much room for the latter:

Early unconfirmed speculation is that the Nats would request a team's top four prospects and/or young major leaguers and perhaps a willingness to take Patrick Corbin's bloated contract. With this kind of player, almost anything in the ask should be considered fair game.

Heyman added that it likely "won't be easy" for any team to meet those demands ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline. That tracks, and not just because Soto became available on such short notice.

In the pantheon of midseason trades, there really isn't one that offers a fitting precedent for a generational young superstar who has more than two years to go until free agency. Maybe the Mark Teixeira deal from 2007, but he wasn't as young, controllable or, frankly, anywhere near as good as Soto.

---

So You're Saying It's Going to Take a Hersch...

A Herschel Walker trade? Yes, precisely.

In fact, one general manager said exactly that to Jeff Passan of ESPN:

Front offices are already having the conversations: What is it going to take to acquire Juan Soto in the wake of him turning down a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from the Nationals? And the answer is: The biggest trade package ever. “A Herschel Walker deal,” one GM said.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 16, 2022

For anyone who wasn't around in 1989, suffice it to say that the Minnesota Vikings had to give up basically everything they had to get Walker from the Dallas Cowboys.

---

OK, Then. Which Teams Could Be Interested?

According to Heyman, the New York Mets and New York Yankees will be in on Soto. But as they share the National League East with the Nationals, the Mets will probably face an uphill battle to acquire him.

Speculatively, there's no shortage of clubs that could likewise make a run at Soto.

For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are big-market contenders who could hypothetically afford Soto's acquisition cost and a potential extension. At least on paper, ditto for the Boston Red Sox.

Concerning unusual suspects, the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners would offer compelling possible homes for Soto in the American League West. Also out west are the San Diego Padres, whom Heyman reported are an early favorite for Soto.

---

Care to Pitch a Trade Package?

Oof. That's a lot of pressure. Any way we can Bartleby our way out of this one?

---

No.

Fine.

Since B/R's Joel Reuter ranked their farm system as baseball's best as of May 30, let's use the Dodgers as an example. Assuming the Nationals would require L.A.'s four best prospects for Soto, the deal would involve catcher Diego Cartaya, right-hander Bobby Miller and infielders Michael Busch and Miguel Vargas.

If, however, Washington wanted to get at least one major leaguer back, the Dodgers could swap one of those prospects for 24-year-old right-hander Dustin May, who is due back from Tommy John surgery in August or September. He offers high-octane stuff, and his club control runs through 2025.

Yet even this offer might not be unbeatable. If, for example, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman called Nationals GM Mike Rizzo and tendered a package headlined by shortstops Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza and outfielder Jasson Dominguez, Soto might head to New York instead.

---

Is There Any Scenario in Which the Nationals Wouldn't Regret Trading Soto?

Though getting a historic haul would soften the blow, you have to figure that the Nationals would lament that trading Soto became a necessity in the first place.

Moreover, dealing him might complicate the Lerner family's plans to sell the franchise.

Those gears are already moving, and the price tag is expected to eclipse $2 billion. But as Heyman reported in June, the Lerners have previously been reluctant to make Soto available out of fear of having anything "hinder" the process of selling the team.

If a Soto trade happens and indeed proves to be a hindrance, the sting of losing him would be that much more painful for everyone involved.

---

What Else Would Change with a Soto Trade?

Only everything.

If he does get traded, he would transform whatever club he lands on. If a rebuilder, that team would have that much more hope for the future. If a contender, that team would get a huge boost to its playoff odds. If a World Series contender, heck, might as well just give 'em the Commissioner's Trophy.

Assuming the Nationals get what they want, there would also be a resetting of the bar for what constitutes a megatrade. We're talking as many as four top-100 prospects for one player, which would indeed be the baseball equivalent of a Walker trade.

Still another possibility is that Soto would take a page from Betts and immediately sign an extension with his new team. The deal would presumably be worth at least $440 million. Either way, the pinnacle for baseball contracts would suddenly be about $100 million higher than it is now.

Further, such things could conceivably influence young superstars who come after Soto.

Rather than take the Ronald Acuna Jr. or Fernando Tatis Jr. route of accepting the first nine-figure offer that comes across the table, they might hold out in case it becomes advantageous to follow Soto's example of waiting and refusing to settle.

---

So, You're Saying a Soto Trade Would Be a Big Deal?

That's putting it lightly.

---

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.

The trade rumors may be circulating, but Monday was all about the dinger for Juan Soto.

The Washington Nationals slugger dazzled on his way to victory at the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium on Monday. He defeated Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners in the finals by launching 19 home runs, which ended a fairy-tale run by the rookie.

JUAN SOTO WINS THE 2022 HOME RUN DERBY 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wYlcA5BMjw

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 19, 2022

Yup, that's a $500 million swing.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 19, 2022

Juan Soto was in the spotlight today with so much attention on if the Nationals will trade him. He clearly was not unnerved. He won the 2022 Home Run Derby. Seattle's Julio Rodriguez had a terrific national coming out party as the runner-up.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 19, 2022

Rodriguez was also excellent and blasted a combined 63 long balls in the first two rounds before hitting 18 in the finals.

His effort prevented Pete Alonso from becoming the first player in league history to win the event three times in a row, and the New York Mets star was quite impressed.

"That was special. He put on an absolute display of what a Home Run Derby should be"

Pete Alonso is very impressed by what Julio Rodríguez has done tonight: pic.twitter.com/MYKFUNWxVs

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 19, 2022

pic.twitter.com/pg6MXBOnqq

— Julio Rodriguez🇩🇴🦁 (@JRODshow44) July 19, 2022

81 total dingers for @JRODshow44 tonight! #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/PoQ1fsKxdR

— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2022

Yet it was Soto who emerged from an eight-man field that was seeded in a single-elimination bracket format based on the number of home runs each player has this season.

That meant Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies) was the No. 1 seed and earned a matchup with ceremonial inclusion Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals). Alonso was seeded second and faced Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves), Corey Seager (Texas Rangers) was third with a matchup against Rodriguez, and fourth-seeded Soto squared off against Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Guardians).

Alonso's quest for a three-peat was the main storyline coming into the contest, but he quickly took a backseat.

Rodriguez put on an absolute show by blasting 32 home runs in a national introduction for the rookie, and Pujols stunned everyone with a swing-off victory over Schwarber after they each hit 13 home runs during their round.

The first of many dingers. #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/iDQmayUGyk

— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2022

Most home runs in a single Home Run Derby round:

2019 RD 2: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (40)
2019 RD 2: Joc Pederson (39)
2021 RD 1: Pete Alonso (35)
2022 RD 1: JULIO RODRIGUEZ (32)
2021 RD 1: Juan Soto (31) pic.twitter.com/jLZxXV1Bho

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) July 19, 2022

Ken Griffey Jr. is all of us rn 😂 pic.twitter.com/MQFO54Eg6d

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 19, 2022

pic.twitter.com/qeHMqASMz4

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) July 19, 2022

https://twitter.com/JATayler/status/1549188094645215233

omfg no wonder the Mariners never lose.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) July 19, 2022

Looks like Corey Seager drew the short straw... his 24 #homeruns in the 1st round were 2nd highest total... but the rookie Julio Rodriguez hit 32 (!!) against him. What a show by JRod!

— Heidi Watney (@HeidiWatney) July 19, 2022

Legend. pic.twitter.com/HEXqiDpP8M

— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2022

RE5PECT.

Everybody loves Albert. #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/qTNRZuZRAs

— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2022

NOT DONE YET.

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/nnNf3myhRm

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 19, 2022

Age when Albert Pujols hit his first MLB home run:

José Ramírez - 8 years, 201 days
Kyle Schwarber - 8 years, 32 days
Corey Seager - 6 years, 344 days
Pete Alonso - 6 years, 120 days
Ronald Acuña Jr. - 3 years, 109 days
Juan Soto - 2 years, 163 days
Julio Rodríguez - 98 days

— Jim Passon (@PassonJim) July 19, 2022

Albert Pujols thinking he only had one round and a celebration but having to go back up there for a swingoff is hilarious.

— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) July 19, 2022

The veteran and everyone else gave way to the 21-year-old in the semifinals, as Rodriguez continued to take the event by storm. He eliminated Alonso with 31 long balls and cemented himself further in Mariners lore by ensuring Ken Griffey Jr. remains the only player to win the Home Run Derby three times.

Me watching America fall in love with Julio Rodriguez pic.twitter.com/HcCFQhvI96

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) July 19, 2022

pic.twitter.com/yvwregzQPc

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) July 19, 2022

Through two rounds, Julio Rodríguez hit 63 total home runs, surpassing Ken Griffey Jr. (59) for most career home runs by a Mariner at the Home Run Derby.

Rodríguez is also the first ever to hit multiple 30-HR rounds in a single derby. pic.twitter.com/vhZAahthcR

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 19, 2022

It seemed like the night belonged to Rodriguez, and the final round would be an exercise in inevitability, but Soto had other plans.

There was perhaps a bit of added pressure on the 23-year-old phenom to perform, given that the trade rumors surrounding him were the talk of the baseball world in the days leading up to the Home Run Derby.

It was first reported last week by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract offer made by the Nationals, leading to the Nats making Soto available in trade talks.

Rosenthal noted that Washington is willing to listen to offers since it believes Soto may never re-sign if he wasn't willing to accept a $440 million deal.

Many MLB teams would likely love to make a run at Soto and ultimately trade for him, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post specifically mentioned the New York Yankees and New York Mets as teams that are expected to explore the possibility of acquiring him.

Soto remains under team control until 2025, so there isn't necessarily any sense of urgency to trade him, and it doesn't appear any type of deal is imminent.

With that in mind, he represented the Nationals well at the Home Run Derby and will look to do the same Tuesday night in the All-Star Game.