Juan Soto, Padres Avoid Arbitration With $23 Million 2023 Deal, per Report

He enters his first full season with San Diego after last year’s trade.

The Padres won’t have to worry about an extended arbitration case with star outfielder Juan Soto this offseason. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the two sides have agreed to a $23 million deal for the 2023 season.

The move gives Soto a $6 million raise from the $17.1 million agreement he reached with the Nationals ahead of the 2022 season. After reportedly rejecting a 15-year extension worth $440 million from Washington, he was traded to San Diego in August.

Soto, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 and former World Series champion with the Nationals, struggled a bit in 52 games with the Padres after the trade, hitting .236/.388/.390 with six home runs and 16 RBIs. Still, the 24-year-old is seen as one of baseball’s brightest young stars and a franchise cornerstone.

After the significant 2022 trade, the Padres will certainly look to reach a long-term agreement for Soto, but with Friday’s news his status is set for 2023.