After Turning Down $440 Million, Juan Soto Just Wants to Play
LOS ANGELES — Beíore Juan Soto met with reporters on Monday ahead of the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium the following day, he pulled out his cellphone and made a call. A few moments later, his agent, Scott Boras, appeared, also on the phone. With a few assistants in tow, Boras stood a few feet away from Soto as he answered questions, many of them about his future.
Soto, a 23-year-old Washington Nationals outfielder, is one of the biggest stars in the sport. He is a two-time All-Star. He won a batting title in 2020 and the World Series in 2019. In five seasons, he has 118 home runs and a .968 on-base plus slugging percentage. Since his rookie season, in 2018, only seven players have accumulated more wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.
The Nationals have tried to sign Soto to a long-term contract extension, but those efforts have proved unsuccessful. The latest proposal — a 15-year, $440 million extension, which would have been the largest contract in M.L.B. history — was rejected. As a result, reports emerged on Saturday that the Nationals would entertain trades for Soto, who reaches free agency in 2025.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/18/sports/baseball/juan-soto-washington-nationals.html