Former Washington Nationals Star Juan Soto Predicted To Land With Mets
The Washington Nationals are one of the franchises that are going to look to spend this offseason. If they had it their way, their big splash would be a reunion with superstar outfielder Juan Soto.
The four-time All-Star began his career in the nation’s capital, playing there for the first four and a half seasons as a pro. He was an integral part to their 2019 World Series Championship team but was traded during the 2022 season.
The Nationals had done everything in their power to lock Soto in on a long-term deal. He turned down their extension offers, which resulted in the team trading him to the San Diego Padres, along with Josh Bell, for a haul of prospects.
That haul now makes up the foundation of their roster.
Left fielder James Wood, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams and ace MacKenzie Gore were all part of that package. Outfielder Robert Hassell III, who was the highest-rated prospect included, is looking to get his career back on track after a dominant Arizona Fall League stint.
Bringing Soto back into the fold with that emerging young core would have be a much-needed jolt for the franchise and fan base. There isn’t a single player remaining from that championship team on the roster, with starting pitcher Patrick Corbin hitting free agency.
Having the superstar right fielder fill that void is something the franchise was open to, as they would have loved a reunion. Alas, it doesn’t sound like it will be in the cards.
Despite Washington being named as a fit for Soto, they don’t seem to be in the running. One of the teams who are, the New York Mets, is where Andy McCullough of The Athletic, is predicting he will land.
“Scott Boras referred to Soto as “the Mona Lisa of the museum.” Steve Cohen is baseball’s most prolific art collector. We looked like knuckleheads last year when our galaxy-brained take on Shohei Ohtani led us to forecasting him joining the Texas Rangers. No need to complicate things. Cohen has the deepest pockets. He will dip into them to sign Soto to the richest (present-day value, for sure) contract in baseball history.”
Out of all of the teams Soto has been linked to, which includes the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, landing in Queens with the Mets is likely the worst.
That would certainly be a bit of a tough blow for the Nationals. Having to play against him in the National League East for likely the next 10-plus years is not how ownership and the front office envisioned things when they traded him out west just over two years ago.
It is a saga that everyone in the baseball world is keeping a close eye on, as Soto’s decision will have a ripple effect on the league. His decision is expected to come by the middle of next week, which is when the Winter Meetings are set to begin.
