First baseman Eric Hosmer is also slated to go to DC, though he would have to agree to be included, as the Nationals are one of the teams he can block deals with using the no-trade clause. Here’s the full deal, per ESPN: Padres acquire Nationals acquire
LHP Mackenzie Gore BY Robert Hassell III SS CJ Abrams BY JAMES WOOD RHP Jarlin Susana 1B Eric Hosmer (pending no-trade clause)
The Cardinals and Dodgers were considered the other two finalists for Soto, but they apparently received a bigger offer from San Diego. Soto, 23, will have two more years of team control after this season. Since making his major league debut during the 2018 season, he has emerged as one of the best hitters in baseball. Entering Tuesday, he was hitting .291/.427/.538 (160 OPS+) with 119 career home runs. Soto, a two-time All-Star, was a member of the Nationals’ 2019 World Series-winning club. As flashy as $440 million seems, it’s worth noting that the Nationals’ extension offer would result in an average annual value of $29.3 million. According to Cot’s Contracts, that would check in as the 20th-highest hitter in the majors, a ranking unbecoming of a player of his youth and history. Indeed, Soto’s AAV would not be the highest on the Nationals’ active roster, with right-hander Stephen Strasburg averaging $35 million per season. Soto could likely be the latest star to leave the Nationals, joining an impressive list that includes Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner and Max Scherzer — the latter two of whom were eventually traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. deadline of the year. Soto’s departure comes at a time of high turnover for the Nationals organization. The franchise is expected to complete a sale to new ownership this season, marking the end of an era. The Lerner family has previously owned the team since 2006, when real estate developer Ted Lerner purchased the club from Major League Baseball for $450 million. Ted later transferred ownership to his son Mark in 2018.
