Washington Nationals star Juan Soto may get traded in the upcoming days.
The team is not under any obligation to deal him, but they have been trying to extend him for months, without much success.
Months ago, they made a 13-year, $350 million offer that was rejected by the player and his camp.
This weekend, they had another approach rejected: this time, it was a 15-year, $440 million proposal.
There are rumors saying that the Nats are preparing one last offer to Soto: if it is rejected, he will enter the trade market.
As you can probably imagine, the Nats would be seeking a mammoth haul for their star player.
One of the teams interested if Washington makes Soto available would be the St. Louis Cardinals.
At 50-44, they have a foundation to compete right now, which would certainly be appealing for Soto.
The Cardinals Would Be Excellent With Soto On Board
They already made the playoffs last year, and are in a good position to qualify this year, too.
Well, that’s if the Nationals leave some players left in St. Louis as the Cardinals trade for Soto.
Luke Slabaugh of Bally Sports Midwest made a funny joke about Soto’s future.
“Cardinals legend Albert Pujols vs. future Cardinals legend Juan Soto,” he tweeted, last night when the two players were facing off against each other in the Home Run Derby semifinals.
Cardinals legend Albert Pujols vs. future Cardinals legend Juan Soto
— Luke Slabaugh (@LukeSlabaugh) July 19, 2022
It’s fair to question whether the Cardinals have the assets to pull off a trade for one of the best young players in the league.
One would think Dylan Carlson and/or Harrison Bader would be part of the package, and Tyler O’Neill could go, too.
The Nationals could also ask for top prospects Nolan Gorman or Jordan Walker.
In any case, it could be worth trying to trade for Soto even if he is not extended: two-and-a-half years of him could really make a difference for the Cards, and pairing him with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado would boost their chances.
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