Jul 14, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a double against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Might superstar Juan Soto soon be on the move? According to a report, it’s distinctly possible.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Saturday that Soto rejected a $440 million contract offer from the Washington Nationals, who will now “entertain trading him.”

Jon Heyman of the New York Post shed further light on the offer and Soto’s decision to turn it down.

Naturally, fans of several different MLB teams were hopeful that Soto would end up being traded to their favorite clubs.

There were other reactions, as well, from speculation on what kind of haul Soto might get to different commentary on Washington’s offer.

It’s also important to remember that Soto wouldn’t be a rental player — at least not if he’s traded this year. He has two years of arbitration remaining before hitting free agency.

As such, while the Nationals may be fielding offers, there’s not a huge hurry to make this trade happen. If Soto isn’t traded before the August 2 deadline in 2022, Washington would still have two years to either deal Soto or reach an extension with him.

However, because of that, dealing Soto would bring in a massive haul. There is no doubt that teams around baseball will be lining up with huge trade offers. Soto is a career .292/.427/.540 hitter, has 19 home runs this year and is still only 24.

If Soto is going to be traded this year, the best bet would be that he’ll go to a contending team. But because of his age and contract status, that wouldn’t be a guarantee. If a team feels it can compete by 2024, it would make sense to at least explore the possibility of trading for Soto. If that team is contending this year, great. If not, the team would have two years to make something happen.

This will be one of the more interesting stories to follow going forward. Expect many twists and turns along the way.

[Ken Rosenthal, Jon Heyman]

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