Juan Soto addresses Nationals future after Home Run Derby win

After winning the Home Run Derby, Washington Nationals All-Star Juan Soto was asked about his future with the Nationals.

Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto won the 2022 MLB Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles as he defeated Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez for the title.

Soto, who was the No. 4 seed in the event but higher than Rodríguez, hit second in the round and won with 19 home runs in the final round. However, Rodríguez (the No. 6 seed) hit more home runs in the Derby overall as he hit 81 home runs (32 homers in the first round, 31 in the semi-finals, and 18 in the finals) compared to Soto’s 53 home runs (18 in the first round, 16 in the semi-finals, and 19 in the final round).

After he won, Soto was interviewed by ESPN’s Buster Olney about the Derby but Olney tried to sneak in a question to him about his future with the Nationals.

Juan Soto was asked about his future with the Nationals after the Home Run Derby

Nationals outfielder Juan Soto largely stuck to a generic answer but he still revealed a little bit of his thought process on what is happening.

“Right now, I don’t even think about (it),” Soto told Olney. “Right now, I’m a champion and I am a champion for the Nationals.”

Soto, of course, has been in the news a lot in the last few days after news leaked that he rejected a contract extension from the Nationals. Reportedly, the offer that he turned down was for 15 years and for $440 million. That would have been the longest and biggest contract in MLB history.

Soto enters the All-Star break hitting .250/.405/.497 with 20 home runs, 43 RBI, 17 doubles, and 79 walks, the latter of which leads the entire sport.

After the All-Star Game, the Nationals will have about two weeks to decide whether or not they want to trade him at the trade deadline or figure out what they want to do with him later. But it is a massive decision that could impact their franchise for the better part of a decade.