Washington Nationals Hot Prospect Latest Benefit from Juan Soto Trade
In this story:
The Washington Nationals did everything in their power to ensure that Juan Soto would be a part of their franchise for years to come.
Back in 2022, they made a competitive offer to him, putting a 15-year, $440 million deal on the table. He turned it down, betting on himself.
It was the right call for the four-time All-Star, who ended up signing a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets as a free agent this winter. That is the largest contract in sports history as the 26-year-old cashed.
When it became clear to the Nationals that they were not going to get a long-term contract done, they fielded trade offers for Soto.
The team was struggling to win with him in the lineup. Trading him was the official signal of their rebuild being underway.
Washington sent him to the San Diego Padres, along with Josh Bell, in exchange for a boatload of prospects.
Parting with a bonafide superstar who at the time was 23 years old is not something any franchise wants to do. But when you get a haul in return as significant as what the Nationals did, it softens the blow.
From that trade the team acquired three of their core foundational pieces who are producing at the Major League level — All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, left fielder James Wood and ace MacKenzie Gore.
Outfielder Robert Hassell III, who was the highest-ranked Padres prospect at the time of the deal, was also included and is making his debut at Major League camp this spring.
Joining him in spring training is the final prospect who was included in the deal — pitcher Jarlin Susana.
The least known prospect of the bunch is making quite a name for himself as he broke out in 2024. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports has highlighted Susana as the non-roster invitee to keep your eye on at Washington’s camp.
“The soon-to-be 21-year-old has touched 103 mph and has a wipeout slider, and could ultimately settle in as a dominant high-leverage reliever," he wrote.
There are long-term needs in the bullpen, which is arguably the team’s biggest question mark heading into the 2025 campaign.
Susana may not be ready to help at the Major League level yet, but if he transitions to becoming a reliever successfully, he can be on the fast track through the minor league system.
As Axisa noted, he has remarkable potential with the raw talent and devastating pitches he already possesses. An imposing 6-6 and 235 pounds, his 103 mph fastball jumps on hitters quickly.
He struck out 157 batters in 103.2 innings and showed real improvement with his control, cutting his BB/9 down to 4.2 from 5.7. If he can continue with that trend, he has the potential to dominate Double-A, and perhaps earn a promotion to Triple-A, in 2025.
