The emergence of Juan Soto has been amazing. It’s more remarkable considering he is just a kid and hasn’t had his 21st birthday yet.
After finishing second for National League Rookie of the Year in 2018, Soto has continued to thrive in his second year, hitting .290/.401/.955 with 29 home runs, 88 RBI’s, and 12 stolen bases.
He has settled in as a clean-up hitter in the Nationals’ lineup behind Anthony Rendon. Together their power has helped lead Washington to a 74-58 record, three games up for the NL’s top wild card spot and five games in the wild card picture.
Soto has become the ultimate replacement for the departed Bryce Harper. However, Soto is only playing on a one-year deal that pays him $578.300. Although the Nationals do have five years of control with Soto, they want to avoid any hostility by locking the young phenom into a major long-term deal.
In fact, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo would love to offer Soto a mega deal now, but he is not sure Soto will accept it.
“We would give him 10 years, $180 million tomorrow morning, for sure,” Rizzo told The Sports Junkies of 106.7 the Fan on Wednesday, “But, I don’t think he’s going to accept that.”
That offer would easily be the largest for pre-arbitration contracts and would surpass the guy that beat out Soto for 2018 NL Rookie of the Year, Ronald Acuna Jr., who signed an eight-year, $100 million extension with the Atlanta Braves.
But that would be getting ahead. As Rizzo admitted, Soto may not be so interested in a long-term deal this early in his career.
“He’s a superstar and a super person and a guy you want to have around your team for a long time,” Rizzo said of Soto. “What you guys don’t understand is, we’re all in on these long-term extensions (but) it’s a two-way street. Both sides have to do it.”
Juan Soto is represented by Scott Boras, who coincidentally represents Harper and Rendon. The Nationals are tangled in contract negotiations with Boras and Rendon on a possible extension, but both sides have seemingly been far apart. If it was up to Rizzo, he would get a two-for-one special, but that’s not how it works.
