The Washington Nationals may be open to trading outfielder Juan Soto, but any interested team is clearly going to have to put together a monster offer if they are seriously interested.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan spoke with one MLB general manager about the kind of package that might be required to land Soto from the Nationals. That package was described as the biggest in MLB history, with the GM even comparing it to the notorious Herschel Walker deal in the NFL.
Front offices are already having the conversations: What is it going to take to acquire Juan Soto in the wake of him turning down a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from the Nationals? And the answer is: The biggest trade package ever. “A Herschel Walker deal,” one GM said.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 16, 2022
The Dallas Cowboys notoriously traded Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in 1989 for a package that included four players and eight draft picks. The Vikings were able to use the draft picks to add key players who became part of the team’s success in the 1990s, including Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson.
Major League Baseball does not allow teams to trade draft picks unless they are competitive balance selections. In other words, the Nationals’ equivalent of a Walker deal would have to involve a huge haul of prospects, including multiple blue-chip young players. Only a few teams would be able to even consider a deal like that.
On the other hand, considering the contract Soto reportedly turned down, not many would be able to pay him long-term, either. The entire scenario sets up a very intriguing trade deadline for the Nationals and several contenders.
