Signing young superstar players to long-term contract extensions isn't an easy task. The San Diego Padres were able to get a deal done with Fernando Tatis Jr at a young age, but doing so with 24-year old Juan Soto is expected to present quite the challenge. MLB Network's Jon Heyman recently revealed the harsh reality San Diego is facing amid a potential Juan Soto contract extension pursuit, per MLB Network on Twitter.
“Yes, they (Padres) did make a call. They were brief, they did not go anywhere,” Heyman said. “Give the Padres credit, they've done a better job than anybody, considering their market, of locking up superstars… I give them all the credit in the world. This one (extending Juan Soto) is going to be tough for them.”
“They gave $280 million dollars to (Xander) Bogaerts, $350 million more to (Manny) Machado. This is a guy (Soto) who's 24-years old. The reason he's going to be such a great free agent… is that age.”
Juan Soto is already regarded as a superstar despite not even hitting his prime yet. The Padres surrendered a number of top prospects to acquire Soto and Josh Bell ahead of last year's trade deadline. San Diego has their sights set on winning the World Series in 2023 with Soto on the roster, but they would also like to lock him up for the long-term future.
Finding the financial flexibility to extend Soto will present an obstacle all on its own, as plenty of key players are already signed to lucrative contracts. The Padres, however, have been willing to break the bank over the past few seasons.
And that will likely not change with Soto.
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