MLB Rumors: Nationals Want to 'Offload' Patrick Corbin's Contract in Juan Soto Trade
July 20, 2022
The Washington Nationals are listening to offers for Juan Soto, and it appears the club wants to shed the contract of another player in any potential trade that includes the star right fielder.
In exchange for Soto, the Nats want "multiple major leaguers and top prospects" and to "offload" the contract of starting pitcher Patrick Corbin, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden.
Corbin and the Nationals agreed to a six-year, $140 million deal in December 2018. He will not become a free agent until after the 2024 season, and his salary will reach $35.4 million in 2024, per Spotrac.
It's no surprise the Nationals are looking for any team interested in Soto to also acquire Corbin and his contract.
Corbin has spent the last four seasons with Washington, and he hasn't been particularly good. In 19 starts this year, he is 4-12 with a 5.87 ERA, a 1.70 WHIP and 91 strikeouts in 99.2 innings.
In 94 starts with the Nationals, he is 29-42 with a 4.73 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP and 532 strikeouts across 539 innings.
In addition, he is 33 years old and will be 35 by the time he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
If the Nationals trade Corbin, they will rely on Josiah Gray, Erick Fedde, Paolo Espino and Anibal Sanchez. Stephen Strasburg and Jackson Tetreault are on the 60-day injured list.
Soto, meanwhile, is available after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million offer, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. A number of teams have already been linked to the 23-year-old, including the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Soto is expected to command an extension that could be worth $500 million.
The Dominican is one of the best players in baseball and has a bright future. He is a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, Home Run Derby champion, World Series champion and batting title winner.
The MLB trade deadline is set for Aug. 2, and the Nationals are seemingly in no rush to trade Soto, who is under team control through 2024 with two more seasons of arbitration eligibility. So, it could be a while until he, and possibly Corbin, is moved.