Washington Nationals reported offer to Juan Soto supposedly not accurate

It is no secret that the Washington Nationals want to lock Juan Soto up to a long term deal and make him the face of the franchise. As one of the more exciting young players in the game, he is exactly the type of player that the Nationals need to keep as they look to emerge from their rebuilding process.

To this point, Soto has rebuffed those attempts. The Nationals’ most recent offer, a reported 13 year extension for $350 million, was turned down. He had said that he wanted proof that the Nationals were looking to contend first.

Nothing happening with Juan Soto extension with Washington Nationals – yet

But hope suddenly appeared on the horizon. Hector Gomez had reported that the Nationals and Soto were closing in on an extension – a 13 year deal worth $425 million. While nothing was eminent, the statement that talks were intensifying was certainly exciting.

The problem is that the reported offer is not accurate. Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post tweeted that while the Nationals have made at least one subsequent attempt to extend Soto, that reported extension is not correct. Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic also noted that, as the Lerner’s are looking to sell the Nationals, the timing of any negotiations would be odd.

It is worth noting that Gomez has had reports refuted before only to be proven correct. The same was said about the Wander Franco extension, only for Gomez to eventually be proven accurate. It is entirely possible that the same happens here.

On paper, that sort of a deal would make sense. Soto would be locked in until he is 36 years old, making him the cornerstone for the Nationals’ future. That extension would be one of the largest in MLB history and would show a willingness to have the type of commitment that he wants. And, in terms of a future sale, having Soto locked in would improve the value of the team in the eyes of a future owner.

At this point, the only people that truly know what is happening in these talks are the Nationals’ front office, Soto, and his representation. Anything else is purely speculative. However, even with this reported extension being shot down by others, it does provide a glimmer of hope.

Reports that the Washington Nationals and Juan Soto are discussing a 13 year, $425 million extension are being debunked. But there is still hope.