The Washington Nationals are struggling mightily in the 2022 season. With a record of 12-26, only the completely hapless Cincinnati Reds are behind them. The Nats shouldn't be this bad with a superstar hitter in Juan Soto. Yet, they are absolutely terrible.

Losing this badly with Soto is extremely detrimental, especially after he already declined a massive contract extension in the hopes of being the highest-paid player in baseball. A trade seemed possible but unlikely just this past offseason. Now, that may end up becoming a reality this summer.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Nationals may be more than willing to trade Soto during the 2022 regular season.

At 23 years old, Soto is already a superstar, and there aren't any comparable examples of hitters of his stature being dealt at such a young age. But rival execs say the Nationals might well be compelled — and motivated — to move Soto this summer.

Trading Soto would be one of the biggest blockbuster moves in the history of baseball. So far this season, he is posting career lows with a .387 on-base percentage (which still ranks 15th in baseball) and a .478 slugging percentage. He has posted an OPS of over .900 each season and has a clean bill of health.

Every team in MLB would line up for a shot at acquiring Juan Soto, a 23-year-old that has received MVP votes in three of his four seasons. The Nationals failing to get a contract done with him may be among the most disastrous things a front office has done in recent memory. Refusing to pay him what he is worth and surrounding him with a horrible team may lead to a prolonged, miserable rebuild in the nation's capital.