One of, if not the biggest story of the upcoming MLB offseason will be New York Yankees superstar outfielder Juan Soto's free agency. While many believe a return to the Yankees or a mega-deal with the crosstown rival New York Mets are the most likely options, one nostalgic rumor is gaining significant traction.
The Washington Nationals, the team where Soto began his career and won a World Series in 2019 with, appear to have emerged as a potential candidate to sign Soto this offseason according to MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand.
“There’s already been some Nationals buzz, which makes sense,” Feinsand wrote. “Washington has a solid young core to build around and has a lot of money coming off the books.”
“Soto and the Yankees visited D.C. recently, and it was a love fest for him,” Feinsand continued. “He still loves it there and the fan base still loves him. And he’d make a heck of a lot more money now than he would have if he had accepted that $440 million deal a few years ago.”
This would be an absolutely stunning move if Soto does in fact sign with the Nationals this offseason.
The Nationals traded Soto to the San Diego Padres in 2022 in a move that jumpstarted Washington's rebuild. The Soto trade netted them All-Star shortstop C.J. Abrams, standout rookie outfielder James Wood, promising young pitcher Mackenzie Gore and two of the Nationals' current top prospects, pitcher Jarlin Susana and outfielder Robert Hassell III, among others.
Ironically, that trade may be the reason why the Nationals are even in the conversation to sign Soto again. It seems like all of their young prospects had success so far, accelerating their timeline and making it feasible to invest in this current group.
The Nationals recently hosted Soto and the Yankees. From the pregame conversations with members of the organization to the warm welcome from the home crowd, it was clear that both sides still think very highly of each other.
Can the Nationals afford Juan Soto in free agency this offseason?
Related NewsArticle continues below
Even if both sides are interested in a potential reunion, the price tag still may be too high for the Nationals. Soto is represented by super-agent Scott Boras, who is notorious for aggressively pursuing the absolute highest amount of money for his clients.
The Athletic recently projected Soto's next contract at 14 years, $560 million, which would be the highest valued contract of all time.
If the Nationals can come close to what the Yankees, Mets and other big market teams are ready to offer Soto, it looks like they may have a real shot to reunite with one of the best and most important players in their franchise's history.
