The Washington Nationals flipped the baseball world upside down when they announced they would be opening up trade discussions for star outfielder Juan Soto, who had rejected the club's 15-year, $440 million contract offer. The likes of the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have all expressed interest in the All-Star slugger.

One reported aspect of the trade talks between teams indicated that the Nationals intended to offload starting pitcher Patrick Corbin, who has three years left on a $140 million contract, in a Soto deal.

In a radio interview with 1067 The Fan, Nationals president Mike Rizzo spoke about the Soto trade, dropping this Corbin revelation, per Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post.

Nationals president Mike Rizzo said that the club isn't “going to dilute the return for any player by including a bad contract.” The front office executive was asked about attaching the Patrick Corbin contract, which is due to pay him $23 million this year and another $24 million the next, in any deadline deals.

It's clear that he's talking about the Juan Soto trade. It has been reported that the Nationals are seeking a bevy of prospects and MLB-ready players in return for the 2022 Home Run Derby champ.

It has also been indicated that the trade for Soto could net the Nationals the largest return anyone has ever seen. Why, then, would the club diminish their own trade return by including the overpaid Corbin, who has pitched to a 6.02 ERA, in the deal?

The answer is, they wouldn't.