You know the only thing close to the value of acquiring Juan Soto?
Losing Juan Soto.
Three teams have had to try to maximize Soto out the door. And all three — at least to date — appear to have rebounded well after learning that Soto did not want their money.
The Nationals offered Soto a 15-year, $440 million extension during the 2022 season, were rebuffed and ultimately traded him to the Padres for a package that, if Washington is going to reassemble into a contender anytime soon, will provide a cornerstone to that. James Wood, MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams are 1-2-3 in Wins Above Replacement (Baseball Reference) for the Nats — Wood, in particular, looks like a blossoming star — and two of their better prospects are Jarlin Susana and Robert Hassell III.