Juan Soto is now donning the pinstripes of the New York Yankees after getting traded by the San Diego Padres. The 25-year-old phenom is on his third team in three years. While playing for the Yankees is a dream come true for many, Soto’s heart seemingly remains with the team he broke through in the Majors.
Speaking with The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, Soto acknowledged he is happy playing with a contender again. However, he “100 percent” wishes he played his entire career with the Washington Nationals.
“I never wanted to leave Washington,” Soto said. “It was a great team. I knew everybody there, from the bottom all the way to the top. I was really comfortable and it felt like home for me; I was happy, I had a house in Washington. was really comfortable up there. Out of nowhere, they made that decision. They thought it was the best thing for the team. I just respected it because they were really clear with me. … I never thought I was going to leave D.C, I was really thinking I was going to stay there for my whole career.”
Soto played the first five seasons with the Nationals after signing as an international free agent at 16. He made his MLB debut at 19, wasting no time becoming one of baseball’s best hitters. At 20, he batted cleanup, helping lead the Nats to a World Series championship in 2019.
Juan Soto put the Nats in a tough position
Soto seemed destined to be the greatest player in Nationals history. Unfortunately, the marriage was no longer feasible for the club after Soto reportedly turned down a $440 million offer from the Nats during the 2022 season.
Soto expected a counteroffer that never occurred. With both sides too far apart in contract negotiations, the Nats traded Soto to San Diego in exchange for a haul of young prospects.
Despite Nats GM Mike Rizzo being upfront with Soto and his agent Scott Boras, Soto didn’t expect to get traded. Soto admitted to crying throughout the morning when he got traded to San Diego.
“That was the team that gave me a chance from when I was a little kid,” Soto said. “They saw me when I was 15 years old. They saw me grow up. I grew through the organization. I felt the best in that organization. At the end of the day, they showed me that this is a business. We got to go through the business and learn from it.”
Soto’s startling admission is no shock. He’s not seemed to be the same since the Nats traded him. Still, his hardships are a byproduct of money. Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, is known to seek groundbreaking contracts.
The power play has caused Soto to bounce around recently. Soto has avoided any extension, leaning on arbitration until he is eligible for free agency next Winter. This season, he’ll make $31 million.
The Nats are undergoing a rebuild centered around many of the young prospects the club acquired in the Juan Soto trade.
For now, both sides are focusing on the 2024 season. The Yankees hope Soto is the missing piece to a 28th World Series title. Washington is crawling through another idle season, waiting for its top prospects to become ready for the Majors.
A huge ‘what if’ lingers about Juan Soto and the Washington Nationals.
