Reports surfaced Wednesday suggesting that Juan Soto rejected a 13-year, $350 million contract offer from the Washington Nationals. The player confirmed such an offer existed, via ESPN, and now reports of what his contract demands in 2025 will be have emerged. According to Jon Heyman, Soto is expected to be shooting for a deal worth more than the current MLB-record AAV of $43 million, meaning he'd be in line for a contract worth a total of $500 million.

Shockingly enough, the Nationals' reported $350 million offer to Soto was widely considered to be a lowball from many around the league. Soto certainly saw it that way too, not hesitating to turn it down before hinting that he'd be willing to test free agency. He mentioned that he would be happy to stay in Washington, however, it's clear the team will need to up the ante in order to lock him down for the long haul.

He's reportedly seeking a deal that would see him paid higher than the MLB-record $43 million Max Scherzer signed on with the Mets for.

Letting Soto hit MLB free agency would be a disaster on the part of the Nationals, as he has the potential to be the franchise's greatest-ever player, and looks well on track towards achieving that. In 2021, the 23-year-old slashed .313/.465/.534 with 29 home runs and 95 RBI. He made his first-ever All-Star Game, while finishing runner-up for National League MVP.

The one-time World Series champ has a younger brother, Elian, who is expected to sign with the Nationals organization, which could play a factor in the older Soto's decision down the line. Soto is represented by mega agent Scott Boras, which will likely help the young star in obtaining his ambitious contract demands.