As soon as the Washington Nationals mentioned that they would consider trading Juan Soto their phone would be ringing off the hook. If it has not happened yet, it is about to.
According to Mike Rodriguez from Univision Deportes, several teams are preparing their offers for Soto. He listed the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Cardinals, and White Sox specifically as teams that should be placing preliminary offers in the near future.
Washington Nationals to get sense of Juan Soto’s value around league
It is understandable that the Nationals are looking for a ridiculous haul for Soto. He is not just one of the best players in the league, but he is also under team control for two more years after this season. Although his price tag is only going to increase via arbitration, he is well worth the cost.
His performance this season is somehow considered disappointing, but that just shows his absolute dominance. Soto has posted a .250/.405/.497 batting line in his 393 plate appearances, hitting 20 homers while leading the majors with 79 walks. If that is a disappointment, any team would take that first half production.
Acquiring Soto is not going to be easy. Whatever teams imagine that their best offer is would likely need to be increased. The Nationals are going to be looking for the type of haul that could turn them into a contender within a year or two in terms of talent.
That is going to be the problem. Very few teams have the type of farm system that could realistically entice the Nationals to part with Soto at this point. Likewise, of those teams, even fewer have the financial resources to pay him over the next two years. He could easily receive $60 million in the next two years if he does not sign an extension. Soto may be worth it, but the cost is going to be extremely high in every aspect.
According to reports, several teams are preparing trade packages for Juan Soto. The Washington Nationals are about to have their phones ring off the hook.