First Pitch: 3 teams that benefit from Nationals not trading Juan Soto

Yankees benefit from Juan Soto decision

Okay, stick with me here. There are actually several teams which benefit from Soto not being traded at this exact moment, despite his value potentially going up in the years to come.

First, the Soto-Nationals negotiations aren’t going to get better anytime soon. Washington isn’t known to dish out huge contracts — see pervious negotiations with Scherzer, Turner and Harper — and Soto wants more than any of those players.

Soto has a real argument at $500 million, and he’d be the first MLB player to receive that much. Unless he comes down off that number to benefit Washington, which would be a surprising move to say the least, then his days at a Nat appear numbered.

Next, the Yankees will have a clear answer on Aaron Judge after this season. Should he stay with New York on a massive contract extension, then they likely aren’t going to trade for Soto as well. That’d be way too much money devoted to the outfield. But if they lose Judge, they’ll need a capable replacement.

Boy, would Soto answer any of those questions.

It’s a whacky scenario that’s sure to be overplayed on Yankees reddit, but it’s realistic. New York cannot afford to lose the face of their franchise without a backup plan.