The Washington Nationals know how important it is for the franchise to lock down superstar outfielder Juan Soto for the long-term, and they made a move to do so ahead of the MLB lockout. According to Enrique Rojas, via Jeff Passan, the Nationals offered Soto a $350 million contract over the course of 13 years prior to the lockout getting underway, but Soto shockingly turned the team down.

Soto himself confirmed the report to Rojas, suggesting that the Nationals had offered him a contract a couple of months ago, but he and mega agent Scott Boras feel the best course of action is to play things year by year and wait for free agency.

“Sí, me hicieron la oferta hace un par de meses, antes del paro que tenemos en el béisbol”, said Soto. “Pero ahora mismo, yo y mis agentes pensamos que la mejor opción es irnos año a año y esperar la agencia libre. Mi agente, Scott Boras, tiene el control de esa situación. De todos modos, en mi mente sigo teniendo a Washington como un lugar en el que me gustaría pasar el resto de mi carrera. Veremos” said Soto in Spanish in an interview with Rojas.

That's certainly worrying news for the Nationals, who may not be able to keep Soto on the roster once he's eligible for free agency in 2024. He will be one of the most sought-after free agents in recent memory if he's allowed to hit the open market, and some big-spenders such as the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers will almost surely be looking to add a generational talent such as Soto if he becomes available.

The contract offer the team submitted would have made him one of baseball's all-time highest earners, but Soto doesn't seem interested in locking himself down with the Nationals long term, opting instead to take things on a year-by-year basis and explore the best options for himself.