Juan Soto reveals the truth behind not extending contract with Nationals

Before Juan Soto bounced from the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees and finally landed with the New York Mets on a record $765 million deal this offseason, he won a World Series with the Washington Nationals.

In just his second year in the league, Soto helped the Nats win their first championship in 2019 and stayed with the club until midway through the 2022 season. Before being traded to the Padres in August 2022, Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension earlier that season.

There was much speculation about why he didn’t accept that contract, which was more lucrative than deals signed by fellow stars like Ronald Acuna Jr. (eight years, $100 million) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (14 years, $340 million). During an appearance on the Abriendo Sports podcast, Soto revealed the reason.

"The Nationals made me three offers: first, an offer similar to Ronald Acuña Jr.'s deal; then another offer similar to Fernando Tatis Jr.'s contract; and then came the $440 million offer," Soto said (per MLB insider Hector Gomez).

"If they had signed Turner, Rendon and Harper, I would have accepted an offer even lower than $440 million."

How the Nationals lost Juan Soto and other core players

The Nationals could have had one of the most fearsome lineups in baseball featuring Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto. However, they let it fall apart.

As Soto said, he wanted the assurance of a long-term competitive team — something the Nationals couldn’t guarantee.

Harper left just before the Nationals’ 2019 World Series-winning season, signing a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The next key player to depart was Rendon, who, after a terrific 2019 season, signed a seven-year, $245 million contract following the championship run.

Finally, Turner became the final straw when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July 2021 before eventually signing an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Phillies in December 2022.

With all three core players gone, Soto followed suit, leaving via trade to the Padres in August 2022.