Juan Soto Turns Down 15 Years $440M

[Mr KLC]

Right fielder Juan Soto reportedly turned down a massive contract extension offer from the Washington Nationals, and the team is now open to trading him.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million deal, marking the third time in recent months that he balked at an offer from the Nats.

Rosenthal noted that the contract would have made Soto the highest-paid player in baseball history in terms of total money, and he would have been the 20th-highest-paid player on an annual basis with a salary of $29.3 million.

Soto is under team control through 2024, but Rosenthal reported the Nationals plan to entertain trade offers for him leading up to the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Soto and agent Scott Boras reportedly viewed the backloaded offer as essentially equal to including deferred money, plus they felt the annual salary was too low.

[Mr KLC]

Trade him now. He has 2 arbitration years left and you can practically clear out another team's farm system with the return you get.

[Bostongambler]

Devers is going to want 400 million and the Sox ain’t going to pay that. Add him to the list.

[milwaukee mike]

how did we get to this point

1976 hank aaron was highest paid player at 240,000... inflation since then in wages/etc is 5.21 which would make the highest paid player today about $1 million, not $30

[JAKEPEAVY21]

There's probably only 4-5 teams that would be willing to pay him.

The rich get richer.

[Bostongambler]

how did we get to this point

1976 hank aaron was highest paid player at 240,000... inflation since then in wages/etc is 5.21 which would make the highest paid player today about $1 million, not $30

When will it end, seriously? 10 years is someone going to sign for 15 years for one billion.

[lonegambler23]

Devers is going to want 400 million and the Sox ain’t going to pay that. Add him to the list.

ill give him a burrito to be on my team

[Mr KLC]

He's worth the trade for 2+ years, and a draft choice from the qualifying order, if you are near contention and have the farm system to relinquish the prospects. Dodgers and Padres come to mind.

[gauchojake]

Trout to the nats straight up

[pologq]

Trout to the nats straight up

judge to the nats

[jjgold]

These big contracts ruined teams anyway

Best without him

[ChuckyTheGoat]

These big contracts ruined teams anyway

Best without him

Smartest thing you've said in months.

See NFL. The boondoggle teams are the ones that the jackpot on cheap QBs. Young QBs on 1st contract and guys like Brady who take < market value.

How much $$ do you need? Fuk a guy like Aaron Rodgers who is trying to break the bank. Don't get bent when they have to trade your top WR b/c you're hollowing out the team payroll.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Also...how TF did baseball contracts get to be FIFTEEN years?

The baseball contracts beyond age 30 are death to a club, when player performance erodes. Nats are insane for offering the 15 years. And Soto is a bigger idiot for turning it down, I hope he gets nothing.

[Bostongambler]

Also...how TF did baseball contracts get to be FIFTEEN years?

The baseball contracts beyond age 30 are death to a club, when player performance erodes. Nats are insane for offering the 15 years. And Soto is a bigger idiot for turning it down, I hope he gets nothing.

Jody Reed comes to mind, although on a lesser scale.

[pavyracer]

Most of the money is at the back end of the deal. Not a good deal for him.

[Orbison]

Soto having a poor year too

something about him is off, don't trust him

[TheMoneyShot]

how did we get to this point

1976 hank aaron was highest paid player at 240,000... inflation since then in wages/etc is 5.21 which would make the highest paid player today about $1 million, not $30

I don't understand where this money comes from to pay players now. Owners are loaded.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

I don't understand where this money comes from to pay players now. Owners are loaded.

Very true, Shot. It's insane. A Billion dollars...is one shit-ton of $$, and these guys have plenty.

[pavyracer]

I don't understand where this money comes from to pay players now. Owners are loaded.

Look at the TV deals MLB has with the TV networks. They are in the billions with each network.

How many people watched MLB on TV in 1974?

MLB has the best marketing machine in the world. It took a boring game to watch on TV and convinced Americans to sit in front of TV for 4 hrs everyday for 6 months to watch it. A guy who watches a game everyday for 6 months would have spend 7 years of his life on planet earth watching baseball. This is out of available 50 years of being awake during his lifetime. Imagine what he would have done with his life if he didn't watch it

[unde0087]

Soto having a poor year too

something about him is off, don't trust him

What exactly is he supposed to be playing for right now? He is on a triple A team. Hard to keep your focus when you know driving to the park you have almost no chance to win. Losing everyday doesn't exactly make a person excited to play especially since the Nationals are basically asking him to salt away his younger years while they rebuild.

[Mike Huntertz]

People that risk their lives or go to "real" college for 7+ years get nothing compared to ball bouncers and ball hitters.
The very top heart surgeons make $1 million and they are only 15% of the bunch.
Yup, I'd rather pay 30X more for good entertainment than for my life.
The world is phucked.

[stake1]

There's probably only 4-5 teams that would be willing to pay him.

The rich get richer.

two big issues are one of those teams wanting to break the bank on him and pay even more tax. Then having to surrender 3-4 top prospects. tall order for sure, now that the bar has been set

[stevenash]

how did we get to this point

1976 hank aaron was highest paid player at 240,000... inflation since then in wages/etc is 5.21 which would make the highest paid player today about $1 million, not $30

How did we get to this point?
Two words: Marvin Miller, the greatest union leader of all time.
Up until the Curt Flood mess, the players couldn't end the reserve clause, the clause that bound players to the same team (unless traded)
Flood was traded to Philly for Richie Allen, Flood refused to go, Miller challenged it and even though he lost the case in the Supreme Court, it opened up the (pardon the pun) flood gates that eventually ended the reserve clause
Messersmith and Dave McNally played out their option year, Miller this time argued this case in front of an arbitrator, and won.
And that was that, the free agent era began.

Miller beat the owners in court over collusion.
Miller got the players a 66.66% raise from 60,000 to 100,000, one of the first things Miller did.
The list is endless.

Before Marvin Miller the players were treated like dog shit, Miller broke the owners.
At that time the MLBA was desperately needed.

Long story short, Marvin Miller did too great of a job for the players, and I hate so say it, I actually feel bad for the owners now.
(To a point)

Regarding Soto, it's painfully obvious nobody wants to Play for the Nats, they're a mess, and will be for a long time.
Soto doesn't like the fact he'll be playing for losers.
Can't say I blame him.

[jjgold]

Hitter never win

Pitchers do

[MalikHusam]

If he's the best player in the league why offer him 20th best salary?

[JAKEPEAVY21]

If he's the best player in the league why offer him 20th best salary?

Fair point. He probably wants around that much for 3-5 fewer years.

[jjgold]

Pitching ALWAYS STOPS GOOD HITTERS

PLAYOFF BASEBALL IT IS CALLED

[JMobile]

Pitching ALWAYS STOPS GOOD HITTERS

PLAYOFF BASEBALL IT IS CALLED

Clayton Kershaw

[pologq]

Soto having a poor year too

something about him is off, don't trust him

i think he is playing down to the level his team is playing at. not saying it is right. 240 avg for him is bad.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

He's worth the trade for 2+ years, and a draft choice from the qualifying order, if you are near contention and have the farm system to relinquish the prospects. Dodgers and Padres come to mind.

I don't believe that the Padres are in the running whatsoever. They already have two $300 million contracts, I'd be shocked if they took on another $400 million+...

two big issues are one of those teams wanting to break the bank on him and pay even more tax. Then having to surrender 3-4 top prospects. tall order for sure, now that the bar has been set

Yep there are not many candidates that would be willing to pay that massive contract AND give up an arm and a leg.

The only teams I see as a possibility are Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Cardinals and Giants.

Maybe 1 or 2 others.

[19th Hole]

“If they trade Juan Soto that would be the most significant trade of a great young player since Babe Ruth”
- MLB Insider Buster Olney discusses potential Juan Soto trade and its similarities with Babe Ruth getting traded to New York Yankees

New York Mets v Washington Nationals

[KVB]

15 years, unreal.

There a number of players with contracts going out 10 years.

Tatis Jr. with a 14 year, 230 mill from 2021. Harper with a 13 year contract and Betts with a 12 year contract to name a few.

Wayne Garland and Richie Zisk both had 10 year contracts signed in the late 70's for 2.75 mill and 2.3 mill respectively.

Dave Winfield had a 10 year 23 million contract in 1981.

[stevenash]

Dave Winfield had a 10 year 23 million contract in 1981.

"Mr. May"

You know the backstory to that quote, right?

[milwaukee mike]

Look at the TV deals MLB has with the TV networks. They are in the billions with each network.

How many people watched MLB on TV in 1974?

MLB has the best marketing machine in the world. It took a boring game to watch on TV and convinced Americans to sit in front of TV for 4 hrs everyday for 6 months to watch it. A guy who watches a game everyday for 6 months would have spend 7 years of his life on planet earth watching baseball. This is out of available 50 years of being awake during his lifetime. Imagine what he would have done with his life if he didn't watch it

well in the 1970s the world series was getting 30-45 million viewers each game... now they struggle to even get 10 million

more people cared about baseball back then

[unde0087]

well in the 1970s the world series was getting 30-45 million viewers each game... now they struggle to even get 10 million

more people cared about baseball back then

Yes, when baseball games were on average 2 hours. Pavy gets his info from CNN. It isn't surprising he doesn't know much. And he says MLB "has the best marketing machine in the world" as a soccer fan. Jesus Christ.