Juan Soto turns down bigger contract than former teammate Bryce Harper

The Washington Nationals offered Juan Soto a bigger contract than the Philadelphia Phillies gave Bryce Harper

When Bryce Harper signed his 13-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies for $330M, it was the largest contract in North American professional sports history.

Of course, it was surpassed weeks later, when the Los Angeles Angels gave Mike Trout a 12-year, $430M extension.

Now, Harper’s former Washington Nationals teammate, Juan Soto, could be the first $500M-contract player in North America. The latest update from ESPN’s Enrique Rojas is that the Washington Nationals offered Soto a 13-year extension for $350M prior to the MLB lockout, which began on December 2, 2021.

Today, Soto confirmed that he had graciously declined the offer:

"“Yes, they made me an offer a few months ago, before the lockout. But right now, my agents and I think the best option is to go year by year and wait for free agency. My agent, Scott Boras, has control over the situation.”"

Soto, like Harper, is a client of super-agent Scott Boras, who is known for getting his clients the biggest contracts possible in free agency.

However, don’t count on Soto leaving the Nats just because he’s interested in testing free agency, as he’s quite happy where he is:

"“I still think of Washington as the place where I would like to spend the rest of my career, so we will see.”"

Soto and Harper went head-to-head for National League MVP in 2021, with Harper emerging victorious. They were the only players in the league with 100+ walks and took turns outdoing one another in various offensive categories.

The young Nationals star is headed for the biggest payday in North American sports, and many have speculated that he could be the first $500M player.