It has been a disappointing 2023 MLB regular season so far for the San Diego Padres. Even with Juan Soto playing in his first full season with the Padres, San Diego is lagging behind in the National League West, trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants in the race to the top of the division.
The Padres' subpar showing this season and Soto's slow start to the year both helped ignite rumors that he might not get an extension from the team. However, that might no longer be the tune San Diego is singing right now, per MLB insider Héctor Gómez.
“According to a person very close to Juan Soto, the chances that the #Padres will offer him a contract extension are increasing every day,” Gomez wrote in a tweet early Monday.
Juan Soto was sent by the Washington Nationals to San Diego via a blockbuster trade at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. The Padres gave up quite a lot to acquire Soto, but they pulled the trigger on that trade, believing that he would continue producing superstar numbers. That was not the case in the early goings of the 2023 season, as Soto hit just .217 in May. However, he has already turned things around and is now slashing .276/.421/.526 with a .947 OPS and 165 OPS+.
Prior to the 2023 MLB All-Star break, Soto hit .265/.419/.479 and posted a .898 OPS. Since the break, he's slashed .316/.427/.709 and carries around a 1.136 OPS.
Soto, who will turn 25 in October, has a year left of arbitration eligibility before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2025 — unless he gets a contract extension.
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