Over the weekend, Washington Nationals star Juan Soto made headlines for allegedly rejecting a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from the team.
While the amount of money would be around Soto’s preferred range (he could push for something closer to $500 million, but $440 million would be a good starting point), his camp isn’t happy about the average annual value of $29.3 million).
As a 23-year-old slugger with 118 career home runs, several MVP-like seasons and a World Series title, he could push for a lot more.
The outfielder himself was questioned by Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post about his current situation with the ballclub.
“’I’ve been a National since day one, why would I want to change?’ Soto said. Said he likes being where he is,” Janes tweeted after her talk with the star player.
“Ive been a National since day one, why would I want to change?” Soto said. Said he likes being where he is.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 18, 2022
Soto has achieved things that many 23-year-olds would dream of.
For example, a total of 12 players in the MLB Futures Game are older than him.
That’s insane!
An Impressive Track Record At Such A Young Age
Soto has been performing at a high level in MLB since his rookie season, in 2018, when he was 19 years old.
He only needed eight games and 35 plate appearances in the high minors to convince the Nationals he was ready for primetime.
And boy, he was ready.
A year later, he teamed up with Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, and an impressive rotation to bring home the first World Series championship in Nationals history.
This year, despite a relatively modest – for his lofty standards – line of .250/.405/.497, he already has 20 home runs and seems well on his way to surpass his career-high of 34, set in 2019.
When you consider all things – current level, past performance, age, skills, and future projection – you understand why Soto could be the first player ever to receive a $500 million contract.
NEXT: Juan Soto Is On A Familiar Track For Nationals Stars