Juan Soto returned to DC last night for the first time as a Yankee, and he was seen on the field chatting with some old friends – including Nationals owner Mark Lerner, with whom he shared an embrace and some good chat.
“Grant & Danny were saying that he was talking to Mark Lerner, and he was glad-handing all the folks around the clubhouse and everything,” EB said on Tuesday’s Junkies show. “Juan is just that kind of guy; he’s been around, obviously, and there's not a lot of his old teammates that are still here, but he knows a bunch of the guys that work in the stadium and work with the organization, and he takes the time to get to know everybody, which is really nice.”
It’s been thought that the timing of Dylan Crews’ call-up was not a coincidence – perhaps as a chance to show Soto some more of the young firepower in an attempt to sign him this winter? – but at least one Junk doesn’t see that as realistic.
“He’s having a massive year, and obviously the fans last night showed they want to bring Soto back – but I think it's crazy talk to think that Mark Lerner's gonna sign Juan Soto to whatever it is, maybe $500 million,” Bish said. “I mean, he turned down $440 million, and now he’s having this season. I just don’t see Mark Lerner opening up the checkbook for one player for that much money.”
Cakes noted the current payroll is just north of $100 million total and Patrick Corbin is a large chunk of that coming off the books – but assuming even $40 million for 13 years, we’re looking at $520 million for Soto. Barry Svrluga has a column wondering about it, but maybe only JP is feeling it?
“In the past, when they followed this model of rebuilding with draft choices and young players, they then supplemented it with free agents,” JP said. “Jayson Werth was the big one in the original run, which ultimately led to the World Series, but Scherzer wasn't homegrown, they gave him a lot of money. Scherzer got a huge contract at the time, Strasburg got a huge contract, they're willing to pay.”
The unknown is the situation around the sale, or potentially not, of the team, depending on where the Lerners are at any given moment, but JP doesn’t think it’s unfathomable, if unlikely.
“I don't think it is unfathomable; I think it might be unlikely, but it's possible. I think it depends if Mike Rizzo and Lerner decide they are close,” JP said. “You got to believe after all these seasons of losing, they should believe they're close. Now you got James Wood up, you just called up Dylan Crews, could you have a lineup that included Juan Soto and be a contender?”
“They’re close to what? They're close to .500 maybe,” was EB’s reply. “They’re gonna struggle to get to 65 wins, you think they're all of a sudden gonna win 90 something? They're still a few years away from that. Close to .500 is great, I’m not complaining, but they’re definitely not one player away.”
“I just don't think there's a chance he's gonna sign a player to $550 million,” Bish added.
Cakes’ take? “It is an advantage that if you were to sign him to a 10 or 12-year deal, he’s only 25. Is he gonna be the same player when he's 36 or 37? Most likely not, but it's not like you have him into guaranteed money when he's like 40.”
EB came back with $440 million not being enough before, so it won’t be close now…and you can listen to the whole conversation above!