Washington Nationals Could Have Reunion With Superstar Free Agent This Offseason
The Washington Nationals have some very clear needs to address this offseason. With some money coming off the books and a strong core being built, they are a team that could look to spend this winter.
Upgrading the lineup is their No. 1 priority.
It is fair for the Nationals to expect some improvements from their young players as they continue their development. But it would certainly take pressure off of them if established veterans were added to the mix to help carry the load.
The player everyone will be keeping an eye on this offseason is star outfielder, Juan Soto.
The four-time All-Star is very familiar with Washington. He spent the first 4.5 years of his career in the nation’s capital, helping the team win the World Series in 2019.
His quest for another championship came up short with the New York Yankees this year, as they were defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. With his attention now fully turned toward the offseason, he will dominate headlines as people speculate about where he will end up and how much money the contract will be worth.
Over at ESPN, predictions were made about how much Soto would sign for. If the Nationals are going to make a run at a reunion, they will have to pony up an eye-popping amount of money.
Every prediction is for at least 10 years and a minimum of $500 million. Two MLB insiders believe that he will receive a 15-year, $715 million contract; one says it will come from the Yankees, the other from the New York Mets.
All of the answers shared in the piece has Soto remaining in New York, whether it be the Bronx or Queens.
But, don’t count Washington out just yet.
They were named amongst the most likely suitors for the superstar’s services.
“It would make for a good story: The prodigal son of the team that originally signed him out of the Dominican Republic comes home for an even larger payday than the one he turned down ($440 million) in 2022. Perhaps it's a long shot but general manager Mike Rizzo has quietly indicated he's ready to fast forward his mini-rebuild, and without a star or two in the lineup, Washington will be hard-pressed to compete in a stacked NL East. If Rizzo can pull off a Soto reunion, it would be one of the great GM sequences in recent history: getting a haul from San Diego in return for a superstar to kick start a rebuild, then re-signing that player as the rebuild enters its next phase,” wrote Kiley McDaniel and Jesse Rogers.
It is fair to wonder whether or not Soto would entertain a return to Washington after he turned down their offer the first time around. The decision ended up being a good one, as he is going to blow away that $440 million offer.
Still only 26 years old, he is a perfect fit for where the franchise currently is. As the MLB writers noted, it would be a coup of epic proportions to have extracted the kind of prospect haul out of the Padres that they did and bring Soto back a few years later.
