Juan Soto Trade Rumors: Mariners, Giants Among Teams Interested in Nationals Star

Seven teams have made preliminary offers to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Juan Soto, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The New York Mets, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners are reportedly all involved in the race to acquire Soto.

Washington began entertaining trade proposals after Soto rejected the team's offer of a 15-year, $440 million contract extension, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Saturday. The 23-year-old cannot become a free agent until after the 2024 season.

According to Nightengale, the Nationals will wait to get the right deal instead of rushing before the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Nats are "intent on trying to find the team that will pay the enormous price."

It would take "four or more worthwhile pieces" to land Soto, per Heyman. The Mets might have to pay a bigger premium coming from the same division as Washington.

The right fielder is certainly deserving of the cost, as he sports an impressive resume just five years into his career. He already has two All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger awards, one batting title and a World Series title. He finished second in voting for NL MVP last season and is averaging 34 home runs and 104 RBI per 162 games.

The teams involved in the sweepstakes are all in the playoff hunt and could get over the hump toward a championship with the addition of Soto.

Seattle could be an interesting match after entering the All-Star break with a 14-game winning streak to get to 51-42. The squad also had the No. 2 farm system in baseball coming into the year, per MLB.com, providing plenty of ammunition for a potential trade.

The Dodgers, Padres and Giants are also in the mix with high stakes. One of those teams adding Soto would create a massive swing in the NL West and keep him away from division rivals.

The Yankees are almost always involved whenever a high-profile player hits the market, and the addition of Soto could make the majors' best team more dangerous. It could also help soften the blow if Aaron Judge leaves in free agency this offseason.