“First, I talked to Juan Soto and agent Scott Boras… ”
The San Diego Padres have left open the possibility of signing Juan Soto to a contract extension in the 2023-2024 offseason rather than trading him. General manager AJ Preller told MLB.com on the 6th (Korean time), “We are not a group that opposes anything.”
It was a response to the Soto trade, which was strongly talked about in the industry. If San Diego wants to lower its payroll from about $250 million this year to $200 million next year as recently reported, the Soto trade is the only answer. Soto received $23 million this year, and the general consensus is that he should be paid at least $30 million next year, when he is last eligible to apply for salary adjustment.
The question is whether Soto, who is one year away from free agency, will be satisfied with a one-year contract. Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, is a ‘demon’ agent and obtains extremely advantageous contracts for the player. First, Preller is expected to meet with Boras and discuss Soto’s future.
Soto appeared in all 162 games this season, recording 156 hits in 568 at-bats, a batting average of 0.275, 35 home runs, 109 RBI, 97 runs, an on-base percentage of 0.410, a slugging percentage of 0.519, and an OPS of 0.929. He was a bit underperforming at the beginning of the season메이저사이트, but by the end of the season, he was the most productive hitter on his team.
This is a season in which he regained his pride after rejecting the Washington Nationals’ 15-year, $440 million (approximately 592.9 billion won) contract extension a year ago. It is likely that Soto will want a contract worth at least $400 million. In that case, San Diego, which is trying to improve its structure by reducing its payroll, should give up on Soto. It is advantageous to reap the benefits through a trade before it is taken away in the free agent market a year later.
“Once we get into the off-season, we’ll be here to put our heads together and have a conversation with him to see if we have anything in common,” Preller said. “First, we will talk to Soto and Agent Boras and see where we need to go.”
MLB.com predicted that if San Diego trades Soto this time, it will be able to bring back the prospects it lost before last year’s trade deadline. On the other hand, he pointed out that it is also true that Soto increases San Diego’s chances of winning the World Series.
If General Manager Preller wants to compete next year, there is also a way to just sign a one-year contract with Soto and wait and see. This is because the trade can be done according to the deadline next summer. However, demand is bound to be higher at this time than at that time.General Manager Preller said, “Key parts are ready for next year. Soto is a big part of that. “As we go into the offseason, we’ll see what the future holds for him with him being a part of San Diego.