The Nationals and Juan Soto are likely on the outs, but what they did to Soto this week seems pretty petty.
Pettiness in D.C., Latest on Soto Trade Market
Juan Soto and the Washington Nationals seem to be heading for divorce with contract negotiations at an impasse after Soto turned down a recent 15-year, $440 million offer from the Nats. So, the Nationals did the pettiest thing imaginable and refused to charter their young superstar a flight to the Home Run Derby in Los Angeles.
Soto flew in commercial, arrived in Los Angeles at 1:30 AM, and went on to win the Derby anyway.
Jon Heyman checked in with what he’s hearing about the Juan Soto trade market on Thursday, naming eight teams involved in the pursuit of Soto, a trade that isn’t likely to happen until the August 2 deadline.
This is an excellent time to remind everyone to verify their sources and ensure their B.S. detectors are tuned to high alert as it’s fake account/information season. Some of the attempts are realistic, or somewhat realistic, but then there’s attempts like this, which just make you wonder why even try if this is the effort you’re putting out:
That’s not even remotely believable …
Wander Franco’s Car Burglarized
I’m guilty of leaving valuables in my car from time to time. Sometimes I leave my golf clubs in there after playing a twilight round of 18. Sometimes I even leave my wallet in my center console. But never have I left $550,000 worth of anything in my car (not that I’ve ever had the opportunity to).
Tamps Bay Rays rookie Wander Franco recently learned a valuable lesson when he left over a half-million dollars worth of jewelry in his car while on a rehab assignment in Jacksonville, Florida. Arrest reports and court documents obtained by ESPN indicate that 24-year-old Kahlil Eugene Mathis was arrested on July 4 after police used a driver’s license and thumbprint given by Mathis at a local pawn shop where Mathis sold some of the stolen jewelry.
Police reports state that Mathis gained entry to Wander Franco’s SUV and made off with a safe containing the jewelry. Police located the safe in a bedroom closet about six miles from the Hotel where Franco was staying.
Mathis is currently in jail and facing the charges for the Franco burglary as well as a slew of other incidents between January and his recent arrest.
Mathis is facing “charges for nine separate incidents since January, including four felony burglary charges, the Franco break-in among them, according to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office records. He has also been charged with 14 other felonies related to weapons, evidence tampering, resisting arrest, credit card fraud, and drugs, plus four misdemeanor charges, including assault. He has a court date scheduled for Aug. 1 and is being held on a $906,566 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.”
A real winner right there. Take your valuables inside, kids.