Soto rejected 13-year, $350M extension with Nationals

Juan Soto said he turned down a 13-year, $350-million contract extension from the Washington Nationals before the lockout, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN.

The deal would've started during the 2022 campaign and didn't include any deferred money, a source told Rojas. Soto could have earned an average annual salary of $27 million through 2034 if the superstar outfielder accepted the pact.

"Yes, they made me the offer a couple of months ago, before the strike we have in baseball," Soto said Wednesday. "But right now, me and my agents think the best option is to go year after year and wait for free agency. My agent, Scott Boras, is in control of that situation.

"Anyway, in my mind I still have Washington as a place I'd like to spend the rest of my career. We'll see."

Only Mookie Betts' 12-year, $365-million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Mike Trout's 10-year, $360-million extension to play for the Los Angeles Angels are worth more total money than the deal the Nationals offered Soto.

The 23-year-old Soto finished as the 2021 NL MVP runner-up after an MLB-best .465 on-base percentage. The two-time Silver Slugger owns a career .301/.432/.550 slash line with 98 homers over four seasons with the Nationals since entering the majors at age 19 in 2018. He can test free agency after the 2024 campaign.