The Washington Nationals tried. In 2022, they offered a $440 million deal over 15 years, then leaked the terms to reporters when Juan Soto did not accept it. They wanted their fans to understand that when they would soon trade Soto, then 23, to the San Diego Padres, it was because they had no better option.
The San Diego Padres tried. Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, negotiated with club owner Peter Seidler after the Friars swung that trade with the Nationals for the superstar right fielder. But Seidler was ill, and the Padres were on the verge of enormous financial problems owing to the collapse of their local television deal. No one will ever know how serious Boras was when, this fall, he said the Padres would have signed a contract extension with Soto if Seidler had not died before the 2023 season.
The New York Yankees tried. After they traded for Soto before last season, their efforts to contract him for the long term were the biggest story of their season—bigger than Aaron Judge’s second MVP award, longer-lasting than the team making a run to the World Series. Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman answered more questions about Soto than the White House press secretary answered about inflation.
All failed. Soto, 26, woke up Monday as a New York Met. It turns out that nobody...
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