Juan Soto Rumors: Nationals to Make Final Contract Offer Before MLB Trade Deadline

According to a report, the Washington Nationals plan to make Juan Soto a final contract offer.

If he doesn't accept the Nats' offer, they will trade him before the deadline.

Two weeks ago, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Soto turned down a long term contract offer from Washington.

According to Rosenthal, the Nationals believed that if he didn't sign the $440 million deal, he would never re-sign with them, so they made him available in trade talks.

The Nats are trying to retain the face of the franchise.

The Nationals don't have to trade him if they can't get a deal done since he is under team control in the next two years, but trading him now would maximize value.

That's important for a rebuilding Nationals team, as they need to get as much as possible in a return for Soto or they'll have to shorten their rebuilding timelines.

Soto is a top hitter in baseball and is just 23 years old.

He's a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, one-time batting champion and one-time World Series champion.

In the World Series, he hit.283 with a career-high 34 home runs and 120 runs scored.

He finished second in the National League Most Valuable Player voting last season when he slashed.313/.465/.534 with 29 homers and 95 runs scored.

In the first three months of the season, Soto hit.243/.400/.480 with 20 home runs and 45 runs scored, but he has been much better in July and is currently hitting.243/.400/.480 with 20 home runs and 45 runs scored

The Nats are likely to demand multiple top prospects if they want to get a young, sweet-swinging lefty like Soto.

If the Nationals don't re-sign him, they will receive one of the biggest trade packages in MLB history, and that's assuming they don't trade him before the deadline.