Major League Baseball got its answer to the NBA’s summer of intrigue with Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell over the weekend. On Saturday, Nationals superstar outfielder Juan Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension with the club, and is consequently available for trade.
The news led to immediate speculation about Soto’s future, especially among fans of the biggest spenders in the sport: teams like the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers. While the Nationals still have team control of Soto until he hits free agency in 2025, and thus can decide to send him to whichever team gives the biggest trade package, it stands to reason that a franchise like that would feel good about its chance to re-sign the 23-year-old slugger and thus give up a haul of prospects and other valuable assets to land him.
Los Angeles has not been shy about making aggressive moves for bonafide stars in recent years, culminating in the 2020 World Series. During last night’s All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, fans in centerfield, where Soto entered the game, made it known: they want him in the City of Angels.
