MLB Insider Leaves Door Open for Washington Nationals to Land Juan Soto
The upcoming offseason is going to feature quite a few high-profile free agents. That being said, there will be none bigger than New York Yankees superstar outfielder Juan Soto.
Could the Washington Nationals actually have a shot at stealing him away from the Yankees and reuniting with him?
Soto reuniting with the Nationals has been a major rumor that has come up in recent weeks. It won't be easy to get him to leave New York, but they could have a shot.
One MLB reporter, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, recently spoke out and left the door open for that scenario to happen.
"The Yankees and Mets are obvious. I think this will be a two-team race, but there’s already been some Nationals buzz, which makes sense. Washington has a solid young core to build around and has a lot of money coming off the books. I don’t think the Dodgers will be in on Soto after signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto last year, but the Giants are still looking to reel in that big fish they have been seeking for two years, so I expect them to enter this fray. Soto and the Yankees visited D.C. recently, and it was a love fest for him. He still loves it there and the fan base still loves him. And he’d make a heck of a lot more money now than he would have if he had accepted that $440 million deal a few years ago."
As for Washington, signing Soto to a massive contract would make perfect sense now.
They have rebuilt their roster the right way. A lot of young talent is present on the roster and in the farm system, but they're missing a true franchise centerpiece.
That is a role that Soto could immediately take if he did end up signing with the Nationals.
During the 2024 MLB season so far with the Yankees, Soto has played in 134 games. He has smashed 37 home runs to go along with 96 RBI, while batting .293/.420/.585.
Those numbers are exactly what Washington is missing. They need more offensive firepower. If they can find that, potentially by signing Soto, they would give themselves a fighting chance to be a sleeper contender in 2025.
At just 25 years old, Soto would also fit the long-term picture for Washington.
While they may not be given the top odds to land Soto, the Nationals are a serious team to watch. It would not be surprising to see them show interest and see if they can reunite with the superstar slugging outfielder.
EVAN MASSEY