Juan Soto Contract Extension Talks with Padres Discussed by Agent Scott Boras

The San Diego Padres were aggressive at the trade deadline with Juan Soto as their primary addition. The question now is whether they will engage in contract extension discussions with the star outfielder, and his agent has what he believes is the answer.

"I don't think it's a question of 'if' they'll do that," Scott Boras told reporters. "I think the question is how they do that. I'm sure before they traded for him, they had a lot of that in mind."

Boras was also asked how open to those discussions Soto, who is not scheduled for free agency until after the 2024 season, would be this offseason.

"The great thing is he had time to acclimate himself there," the agent said. "It's not exactly a difficult market to adjust to. I think he's enjoyed his time there and has certainly enjoyed the competitiveness of the team, being in the playoffs."

San Diego landed Soto, Josh Hader, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury in a flurry of trade deadline moves and parlayed the aggression into a National League Championship Series appearance.

While the Padres lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, it isn't difficult to envision more deep playoff runs next year and beyond with the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. to a core that now features one of the best players in baseball in the 24-year-old Soto.

His resume already includes a World Series title from his time on the Washington Nationals, a batting title, two All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger awards and a Home Run Derby crown.

Yet he got off to a slow start with the Padres and ended up slashing .236/.388/.390 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 52 games following the trade.

It may have taken some time to get acclimated, as Boras highlighted, but Soto's track record suggests he will return to his position as one of the league's best in the coming seasons. The Padres will likely have to pay him accordingly, though, to keep him.

After all, the two-time All-Star rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension offer from the Nationals in July, which started the process that ended with him being traded to the Padres.

Whether it will take more than that for San Diego to keep him aboard remains to be seen, but it will surely take quite the offer. Given Soto's age, production and star power, there will likely be other teams more than happy to pay such high numbers if the Padres can't come to an agreement.