"What's going on in Washington?" "I’ll be absolutely shocked" - MLB fans react to the Nationals signing former All-Star amid Juan Soto trade rumors

Juan Soto’s impending exit from the Washington Nationals has been the talking point of the MLB world ever since he turned down a record-breaking offer.

The proposed 15-year extension was believed to be worth $440 million and would have been the biggest deal in MLB history had Soto signed on the dotted line.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding Soto’s future, the Nationals made a rather curious move and signed former All-Star David Dahl.

"Nats agree to deal with OF David Dahl. No one really qualifies as Soto insurance but interesting they added a veteran outfielder now." - Jon Heyman

The veteran outfielder hasn’t made a Major League appearance in almost a year now. Dahl signed a Minor League contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in August 2021 and was released earlier this month.

Dahl earned an All-Star call-up back in 2019 while he was with the Colorado Rockies. The 28-year-old hit .302 with homers to his name and a .877 OPS that season. However, he has struggled to build on his success outside of Coors Field.

Dahl is likely headed to the minor leagues under the Nationals umbrella. However, there’s a small window of opportunity for him to make the major league roster. In the event that he does, it will certainly raise a few eyebrows.

Fans were perplexed by the move.

The acquisition of Dahl doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with Soto’s current status. The two situations may not even be remotely linked.

The Juan Soto saga has no end in sight

The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, yet we are no closer to finding out where Juan Soto will end up next. As many as seven teams have already made preliminary offers for Soto.

Interest from the American League is driven by the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners. From the National League, the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants have all thrown their hats in the ring.

Should a trade for Juan Soto materialize, it will be the headline act of this summer

The relationship between Soto and the Nats has progressively deteriorated since he declined to extend. The Dominican’s agent Scott Boras recently revealed that the Nats refused to charter a private jet for Soto’s trip to LA earlier this week. The incident happened in the hours leading up to the Home Run Derby, which Soto eventually won.

Under current circumstances, Soto and the Nats are headed for an ugly split. The next couple of weeks before the trade deadline are going to be chaotic. Any deal for Juan Soto is likely to cost close to the $500 million mark. Who is going to break the bank for the 23-year-old sensation? We shall have our answers by Aug. 2.