You’ve probably heard of déjà vu, and Giancarlo Stanton is deep into it, as Juan Soto’s current situation reminds him of his, from more than a decade ago. The 26-year-old is all set to start his first free-agency next season. Next year, he would be seen as one of the members of Boras Five’. The promising talent will sure have a lot of deals, but does the former team, Washington Nationals with whom he debuted, also want him in?

There might be a possibility as Soto helped them clinch the World Series in 2019. The player was genuinely loved by the team and fans. The Nationals did offer him a massive 15-year – $440 million deal, but Soto turned it down, as he felt undervalued. After being traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022, he then went to the New York Yankees. But now that he’s entering his free agency, plus with the addition of young talents on the Fish’s lineup rumors are the links are growing again. How does it mirror his teammate Stanton’s situation? Well, he faced a similar request from the Nats’ right fielder Bryce Harper. So what is this Harper-Stanton connection?

How does Soto’s situation mirror that of Stanton

Well, the Harper-Stanton connection goes way back. Even before a decade, when Stanton posted a tweet saying, “Alright, am p-ss-d off, plain and simple”, to which Harper replied, “You can always come play for the Nats! We will take you anytime! Get some red, white, and blue in your life!” Well, probably, Stanton was having more than enough fun with his only red shirt then, so he playfully trolled his reply, “Dang bro, If only my last name backwards wasn’t NotNats!” What a wordplay!

Coming back to their connection, it didn’t end in 2012; in 2018, when Harper was a free agent, he wanted to sign with the Yankees. But the team didn’t approach him, instead, they brought in Stanton. This was about the Harper and Stanton connection, but recently, a new connection and trail have also been seen, and that is of the Nats’ possibly approaching Juan Soto.

It sounds similar to something you just heard before, right? Apart from this, when Juan came back to the Washington ground, but this time as a Yankee, the Nats fans couldn’t hold back and cheered, “Please sign Soto” Well, the love and respect shared by the team and their fans are not one-sided but the Yankees star feel the same way and that can be seen in his gesture. When the fans were roaring he tipped his helmet towards them and also thanked them later “I was thankful for them. They show me the whole love that they have for me, and they made me who I am right now.”

Well, it’s no surprise the fans cheer so loudly for him. They adored him when he was with the Nationals, and they’d be over the moon to see him return. 

The Washington Nationals and Juan Soto saga

Bringing Juan Soto back could be a game-changer for the Nationals as they aim to become a major contender in the league again. We get why they want to do so. If we talk about his performance. Since his debut, no player has had a higher OBP than Soto’s .422. Only stars Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, and Yordan Alvarez have a higher OPS than others. Great. For a 26-year-old, it’s more than great. At such a young age, he’s already been crowned as one of the greatest hitters in the game.

As Soto enters free agency, his former team, the Nationals, has a lot of links and reasons to try to re-sign him. The topmost of all remains that he played a crucial role in their World Series win in 2019. Now that the team is eager to get back to winning, who better to bring in than someone who’s been there and delivered for them before? Additionally, bringing him back would help the team to juggle it up with the other young blood on board. The lineup will include CJ Abrams at shortstop, and James Wood in left field. On second base they have Luis García Jr. and Dylan Crews at right field.

Signing Soto back could cost a whopping amount between $500 and $600 million. On a positive note, the timing couldn’t be more right as Patrick Corbin’s expensive contract is coming off. With no other major agreements, the Nationals may have the financial flexibility to make this move. But will Stanton, who deflected the Nationals invite, manage to convince Soto to do the same to stay in the Yankees? Or will Juan accept the offer this time, unlike before? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.