Despite being a wild card team, the Washington Nationals finally broke through in the postseason in 2019 with their first World Series win in franchise history.
Besting the powerhouse Houston Astros in the World Series, as well as defeating a 106-win Dodgers team two rounds earlier, Washington experienced a memorable season. The team featured a combination of young players and quality veterans, and it seemed like Washington would be a force to be reckoned with going forward.
And yet, it’s been quite the opposite in the following three seasons since.
They missed the playoffs by a wide margin in both the shortened 2020 season, as well as in 2021.
Additionally, amid the current 2022 campaign, Washington holds a 31-63 record and remains far out of postseason contention.
Now, franchise star Juan Soto, who is just 23 years old, could be on his way out the door if he isn’t given a lengthy new contract.
So where did everything go wrong for the 2019 champs? It starts with the front office.
Breaking Up The Champions
When looking at the 2019 Nationals roster, compared to the current team, there’s a staggering number of key contributors no longer present.
Two decisions, seemingly geared to save money, hammer home the point that the front office had no interest in keeping the team together.
First, the team let star third baseman Anthony Rendon walk after having an All-MLB outing in 2019. Admittedly, Rendon has dealt with an array of injuries since leaving Washington for the Los Angeles Angels. However, it’s still worth mentioning the loss of Rendon because he was crucial to the championship season. Rendon’s departure also coincided with Washington’s extension of World Series MVP Stephen Strasberg, who’s also dealt with injuries after the 2019 season.
The other move that was truly inexcusable was last season’s blockbuster trade with the Dodgers, a team the Nationals had competed with during that 2019 playoff run.
Washington dealt pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner to Los Angeles for numerous prospects. Scherzer and Turner were both headed for free agency, but failing to keep either really knocked Washington down a peg.
Turner, at just 29 years old, could’ve been resigned to keep a premier player in town. Instead, Turner and Scherzer, currently with the Dodgers and Mets respectively, compete for the playoffs, while Washington stares down a potential rebuild.
With additional departures of the likes of Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick, Yan Gomes and Adam Eaton, the 2019 core has mostly been eradicated.
Yet, one key player remains. How long he stays, however, is a major topic of discussion.
The Nationals Lowball Soto
Juan Soto stands as a superstar. By age 23, Soto has already won a World Series, made three All-MLB teams, won two silver slugger awards, and most recently, earned the 2022 Home Run Derby crown.
And with his team recently deciding not to pay guys like Rendon, Turner and Scherzer (and even Bryce Harper before that), in theory, the Nationals should have no problem paying Soto.
Apparently, it isn’t that simple.
Despite Washington offering him a huge 15-year, $440 million dollar contract, Soto declined. Evidently, he wants to be paid more.
When examining the highest paid players in the MLB, there are multiple players making more than the $29 million annually that the proposed contract would offer Soto.
Soto’s former teammates, Scherzer and Rendon, make $43 million and $36 million respectively; Rendon’s superstar teammate, Mike Trout, makes $37 million.
Furthermore, players like Corey Seager, Carlos Correra, and Francisco Lindor all make over $32 million per season.
These players have proven to be great players, while Juan Soto has statistics that rival all of them.
To make a comparison, imagine Luka Doncic had already won a championship with the Mavericks.
Despite this, Dallas would refuse to pay him more than what the likes of Donovan Mitchell or De’Aaron Fox make each year.
That is precisely what the Nationals are trying to do to Juan Soto. Even though they may acquire tons of prospects for the 23-year-old all-star, their potential is unknown. Soto’s already proven to be great and likely has at least another decade of dominance ahead of him.
Like Bryce Harper before him, if Washington lets Soto walk, they’ll be losing an MVP talent. And after a magical 2019 season, the fans in Washington deserve better than that.
