Juan Soto's agent reveals behind-the-scenes of Nationals $440M contract snub

Juan Soto signed an MLB-record $765 million deal with the New York Mets last offseason after his career-best year with cross-town rivals the New York Yankees.

Soto joined the Yankees after being traded by the San Diego Padres ahead of the 2024 season. Although the Dominican outfielder did not win the World Series with the Yankees last year, he has already got a ring from his stint with the Washington Nationals.

A young Soto won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019 and was instrumental in their run through to the top prize. A 23-year-old Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension from Washington in 2022 and was eventually traded to the Padres.

Soto's agent, Scott Boras, revealed behind-the-scenes events of his Nationals contract saga in an interview with Graham Bensinger. He talked about the ownership change in Washington at the time and how it would impact the Dominican star's future with the franchise if he signed a long-term contract. Boras said (5:00 onwards):

"It is no surprise to me that the Nationals offered Juan a record $440 million, which at the time was the largest contract in sport. I said to Juan, 'What are your goals,' and he said, 'I want to win; I just already won a championship.'

"I said the ownership is selling the team, we have no way of knowing what the new ownership would be like. I go, 'They are using you as an asset to increase the valuation of the franchise, but that doesn't achieve your goals. Your goals are you want to know you're going to win and win annually."

Boras said he advised the All-Star outfielder to think about the value he deserves.

"And you have to respect the environment and the upbringing where Juan was raised in the Dominican. With a very modest upbringing, I said, 'Juan, It can never be about money. It has to be about your value for you to do this.'"

Juan Soto revealed what would have made him sign the Nationals contract

After signing a record-breaking deal with the Mets, Juan Soto revealed the reason why he turned down the offer from the Nationals in 2022, and it was in line with what Scott Boras had advised him at the time.

In an interview with MLB insider Hector Gomez in March, Soto said:

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

Soto is expected to lead the Mets to World Series glory after falling short against the Los Angeles Dodgers with the Yankees last season. The All-Star slugger is starting to heat up at the plate after a slow start as the Mets continue to be one of the best teams this season.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash