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The Nationals are in a perilous position with Juan Soto as the MLB trade deadline approaches.

The rumor mill has been churning constantly since he reportedly turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract offer. Fanbases around baseball have put together countless spec trade packages about what it might take to acquire the 23-year-old star, but the Nationals appear to be taking Soto down to the Tuesday 6 p.m. ET wire.

They aren't, however, done with him just yet. According to Hector Gomez, the Nationals are reportedly putting together another contract offer for Soto in one last attempt to e freddie freeman atlanta braves jersey ntice him to stay long-term. If he turns that deal down, him being traded at the deadline is an inevitability.

It should be noted other news-breakersMLB Jackets, such as ESPN's Jeff Passan and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, have been conspicuously quiet heading into the weekend. The most reasonable explanation for the silence is that teams are haggling over the final p gray atlanta braves jersey ieces in potential deals.

A Soto decision to stay in Washington would have to come quickly. The timeline here is incrediblyPandora| Columbia tight for him and the Nationals. Even if he turns down a contract on Saturday, that leaves the Nationals with precious little time to hammer o atlanta braves jersey mens small ut a deal with interested parties.

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What could a Juan Soto Nationals extension look like?

The unfortunate reality for the Nationals is that there aren't a lot of deals that will likely keep Soto out of free agency.

That isn't because of Soto's apparent frustration at the All-Star Game, or him retweeting and deleting a Derek Jeter quote bemoaning one-way loyalty. Rather, it's because Soto is a Scott Boras client, and Scott Boras likes to test free agency.

The Nationals could also be trying to save face if they aren't getting the offers they hoped for since, as general manager Mike Rizzo noted this week, the Soto extension news leaking out cost the National black atlanta braves jersey s leverage.

With that in mind, extending Soto may well require a Mike Trout-esque AAV, or $35.5 million per year.

The problem with the Nationals' previous contract offer ostensibly wasn't the $440 million. It was tMLB Batting Practice he 15 years. That would put Soto as a free agent around age 40, after 15 years at $29.3 million. That's not good business for a young superstar.

Ronald Acuña Jr.'s eight-year, $100 million Braves extension might be a touchstone for Soto and Boras when it comes to length. If they can whittle it down to six to eight years with club, player, or mutual options so Soto can test free agency around 30, perhaps it would behoove them to take a longer look at the deal.

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Will Juan Soto stay with Nationals?

Of course, never say never, and there's always a chance this ages poorly. But the odds of a Soto extension getting done before the deadline are not high.

He and thShohei Ohtani e club, realistically, seem to be going in different directions. The Nationals are dealing with selling the team, which looms over every transaction they make. With that in mind, having a huge-money contract on the books could hurt the Lerners' return.

While that isn't a fun way to look at it, it's the reality of Major League Baseball.

If Soto does command Trout money, don't expect the Nationals to match it. If he asks for Acuña years, that could also be a nonstarter.

If the Nationals aren't bluffing and do intend to trade Soto if he can't get an extension done, it would be surprising not to see him in a different uniform after the deadline. But, it must be said, it's all speculative at this point.