With talk of trade a hot topic, Washington Nationals star Juan Soto knows 'it's out of my hands'

LOS ANGELES — Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo declared at the start of June that he would not be trading Juan Soto, despite speculation to the contrary. Now, with the trade deadline a little more than two weeks away, that mindset has clearly shifted. And Soto is still coming to grips with it.

«It feels really uncomfortable,» Soto said. «You don't know what to trust. But at the end of the day, it's out of my hands in what decision they make.»

Soto spoke from All-Star Game media availabilities on Monday afternoon, one day after reports surfaced that the Nationals are exploring trade possibilities after Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension offer. The deal, first reported by The Athletic, carried the largest total value in baseball history but a $29.3 million average annual value that is surpassed by 15 current players' contracts.

The value ultimately was not enough for Soto, who, a source familiar with the process said, was also hesitant to commit long term to an organization undergoing a potential change in ownership and navigating through what promises to be a prolonged rebuild. Soto, flanked by agent Scott Boras, entertained questions on the subject — in English and Spanish — for about 45 minutes ahead of Tuesday's Midsummer Classic. He expressed disappointment but also stressed the importance of remaining focused.

Asked if the trade talks have made his job more difficult, Soto, 23, said: «Here and there, you know. But you can't blame that on your stats or anything you can do on the field. At the end of the day, I just try to forget about everything outside for three hours, and try to be the 12-year-old that I've been and play baseball as hard as I can and try to enjoy it as much as I can.»

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