One MLB insider has expressed the cost that it will take for any Major League team to acquire Juan Soto in a trade with the Washington Nationals … and that cost is very, very high.
Juan Soto trade rumors: Washington Nationals asking for a lot and not budging on that price
According to a tweet from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Washington Nationals are telling teams their demands to acquire Soto in a trade are “4 to 5 top youngsters, combo of prospects and major leaguers with low service time.” Rosenthal adds that the Nationals are not negotiating when it comes to that price. If another team balks at giving up that much, Washington is moving on to see if another team will meet their demands.
With Soto not scheduled to become a free agent until the 2025 season, the Nationals are certainly in no rush to trade the 23-year-old superstar outfielder. However, it is also said that the trade value for Soto will never be higher than it is right now, with the native of the Dominican Republic just coming off a win in the Home Run Derby and the August 2 MLB trade deadline fast approaching. If a team could pull off a deal with the Nationals before the deadline, they could, at the very least, have Soto on their roster for the next three postseason runs.
However, to get Soto for this trade deadline would certainly shake up the roster and farm system for a team like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, or Los Angeles Dodgers, three teams with deep pockets that have been linked closely to wanting Soto but are also in the thick of prepping for this postseason.
Will any team be willing to pay that high of a price to acquire Juan Soto? The Washington Nationals are certainly hoping so and have nothing to lose in keeping him until another team bends to their demands.