Fansided

MLB Rumors: Juan Soto extension, Red Sox star’s future, and Cubs benching

By Kristen Wong

Juan Soto #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts as he talks a walk in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on July 19, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
Juan Soto #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts as he talks a walk in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on July 19, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) /
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Padres, Juan Soto, MLB Rumors
Juan Soto #22 of the San Diego Padres looks back to the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates July 25, 2023 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

MLB Rumors: Latest Juan Soto report doesn’t guarantee Padres anything

From the Padres’ perspective, extending Juan Soto is a no-brainer. San Diego would be foolish not to at least put an offer on the table and try to hold onto their star investment, even if he has entered a slump this season.

Will the Padres try to extend him? Yes, of course. The more worthy question to ponder is: Does Soto want to stay?

The 24-year-old has a year of arbitration eligibility left before he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. Signing an extension with the Padres now would work best in the team’s favor, yet Soto and well-established agent Scott Boras probably know better than to do that.

Unless the Padres give him an offer he truly can’t refuse, Soto’s best bet would be to wait and test free agency in 2025.

FanSided’s MLB insider Robert Murray reinforced that notion that Soto “will almost certainly test free agency” at the end of the 2024 season.

"Soto turned down $440 million from the Washington Nationals last year, a clear indicator that he and his agent, Scott Boras, want to establish his value on the free-agent market. That’s how Boras operates with all of his players, and it’s unimaginable that he would change course with Soto."

Part of a 2022 mega-trade with the Nationals, Soto joined the Padres as a marquee offensive threat who would help San Diego make a World Series run. With the Padres’ wildly disappointing past year, Soto’s name became entrenched in trade rumors this past month, but the franchise didn’t move him.

After a poor start to the 2023 season, Soto has kicked things up a notch, currently slashing .276/.421/.526 with a .947 OPS.

Having survived the trade deadline, Soto may hang around in San Diego long enough to see if he can get one of those juicy, lucrative deals that the franchise has handed out in recent years — Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., and a few others all secured their bags.

For the right price, Soto might stay. But since he’s a year-and-a-half away from hitting free agency, there’s just no guarantee.

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