Washington Nationals wunderkind Juan Soto recently turned down a contract extension offer that would have made him the highest-paid player in baseball history, according to Ken Rosenthal. Soto rejected a monster 15-year extension worth $440 million, and the Nationals reportedly now plan to entertain trade offers for last year’s NL MVP runner-up.
Here are the detail’s on Soto’s rejected extension, via The Athletic:
Soto, 23, rejected a 15-year, $440 million offer, sources said. The proposal, the Nationals’ third in recent months, did not include any deferred money, a departure from the team’s usual practice. The two biggest guarantees in club history, $245 million for right-hander Stephen Strasburg and $210 million for righty Max Scherzer, included significant deferrals, lowering the present-day values of the deals.
The Nationals’ offer exceeded in total dollars the 12-year, $426.5 million contract Mike Trout signed with the Angels in March 2019. Soto would have received an average salary of $29.33 million, the 20th-highest in baseball history, with the deal extending from his Ages 24 to 38 seasons, effectively making him a National for the rest of his career.
Soto reportedly rejected a 13-year, $350 million extension prior to the owners’ lockout, so the Nationals have upped their offer considerably.
BREAKING: Juan Soto rejects $440M offer. Nationals will now entertain trading him. Story: https://t.co/u4ubuImb2S
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2022
Juan Soto has rejected a 15 year, $440M offer from Nationals, per @Ken_Rosenthal.
Washington now plans to ‘entertain’ offers to trade for the star outfielder 😳 @BRWalkoff pic.twitter.com/AlOI0QuotX
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 16, 2022