The Padres won’t have to worry about an extended arbitration case with star outfielder Juan Soto this offseason. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the two sides have agreed to a $23 million deal for the 2023 season.
The move gives Soto a $6 million raise from the $17.1 million agreement he reached with the Nationals ahead of the 2022 season. After reportedly rejecting a 15-year extension worth $440 million from the team, he was traded to San Diego in August.
Soto, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 and former World Series champion with the Nationals, struggled a bit in 52 games with the Padres after the trade, hitting .