Josh Bell, César Hernández and Nelson Cruz could be among the veterans that the Washington Nationals trade in advance of the Aug. 2 trade deadline, but it doesn't sound like Juan Soto will be joining them in leaving the nation's capital.
In an article Jon Heyman penned for The New York Post, Scott Boras -- who represents Soto, among other superstars in the sport -- squashed the idea of the Nationals trading one of his top clients this summer. Boras put it pretty simply, saying "forget Soto trade ... it's not happening."
Earlier this week, ESPN's Buster Olney discussed Soto's long-term future in D.C., saying that "rival execs say the Nationals might well be compelled -- and motivated -- to move Soto this summer."
Never say never; it was pretty shocking to see the Nationals part with Trea Turner in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers last summer. But even if Soto's long-term future isn't with the Nationals, he can't become a free agent until after the 2024 season. It's entirely possible that another peak year or two from Soto will be more valuable than the entire careers of anyone you would get in return for trading him.
There's also this -- the Nationals haven't put on a full-court press to reach a long-term deal with Soto, who has qualities at the plate that remind you of a young Barry Bonds.
Yes, they did offer Soto a 13-year/$350 million extension last offseason with no deferrals, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN. But while that offer might have been enough to convince Bryce Harper to re-sign after the 2018 season, it's probably not close to what Soto is worth.
What turned into a 12-year/$426.5 million deal with a full no-trade clause for Mike Trout began in his age-27 season. No one is Trout, but Soto is the closest thing in the sport right now offensively, and seems destined to join him in Cooperstown one day. Given that he'll only be 26 in the first year of his long-term deal (2025) and there will have been a few years of the market rising, Soto's major contract will certainly start with a four, if not a five.
If the Lerner family does indeed plan to sell the Nationals, it might be seen as a solid to rip the band-aid off and trade Soto before passing the team to a new owner. From here, though, an even bigger parting gift would be to sign perhaps the best pure hitter in the National League to an extension. And if potential buyers have reservations about inheriting a market-value deal for Soto, perhaps they shouldn't be buying a team.
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