Twenty-three-year-old star outfielder Juan Soto has reportedly refused the largest contract in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mlb">MLB</a> history, despite the great lengths the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/washington-nationals">Washington Nationals</a> went to keep him.
Soto declined his team’s 15-year $440 million contract offer, multiple <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nationals-superstar-juan-soto-reportedly-rejects-15-year-440-m-offer-team-could-entertain-trade-offers-163515389.html">sources</a> reported Saturday. The deal would have made him the highest-paid player in terms of total compensation in the league’s history, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/07/16/nationals-soto-rejects-440-million-offer-biggest-contract-in-mlb-history/?sh=39b769b858e2">according</a> to Forbes.
The Nationals outfielder was reportedly unhappy that the news about his decision broke and appeared “somber” before reporters prior to his game against the Atlanta Braves Saturday.
“Juan Soto just talked with a few reporters here in D.C. Said he’s not happy this came out because, as he put it, he’s someone who likes to keep things private,” Washington Post and Nationals beat writer Jesse Dougherty <a href="https://twitter.com/dougherty_jesse/status/1548357294278057986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1548357294278057986%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fnationals-superstar-juan-soto-reportedly-rejects-15-year-440-m-offer-team-could-entertain-trade-offers-163515389.html">reported</a>. “Also said it’s uncomfortable going into the all-star break but he’ll deal with it. As somber as I’ve seen him.”
The young star’s rejection means the Nationals will reportedly consider trade offers for Soto as the team continues to struggle with the league’s worst record, currently sitting at 30-62. The trade rumors are surprising, considering the Nats&#8217; General Manager Mike Rizzo <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/07/16/nationals-soto-rejects-440-million-offer-biggest-contract-in-mlb-history/?sh=39b769b858e2">told</a> a Washington sports radio station in June that the team &#8220;made it clear to his agent and to the player&#8221; that Soto would not be traded.
After coming into the league at just 19 years old in 2018, Soto quickly proved his worth. The Dominican-born young star was instrumental in the Nationals&#8217; first World Series championship in 2019, holding a .282 batting average during the season, and racking up 110 RBIs and 34 home runs.
Soto continued his dominance in a COVID-shortened 2020 campaign with a .351 batting average, becoming the youngest player to win the National League batting championship. The next season he finished in second place for the National League MVP behind Phillies right-fielder Bryce Harper.
Soto’s numbers this season have fallen behind his usual performance, but he continues to be one of the Nats’ only bright spots on a roster significantly depleted from its star power in 2019. A Soto trade would send shockwaves through the league, as the Nationals&#8217; front office must decide what to do before the August 2 trade deadline.
“Front offices are already having the conversations: What is it going to take to acquire Juan Soto in the wake of him turning down a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from the Nationals?” ESPN’s Jeff Passan asked, adding, “And the answer is: The biggest trade package ever. ‘A Herschel Walker deal,’ one GM said.”

Juan Soto

Baseball Star Turns Down Biggest Contract In MLB History

Juan Soto Rejects $440 Million Offer From Nationals

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Washington Nationals

Some employees who have refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Washington Nationals organization have been terminated, according to a report by Nationals beat writer Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post. 
On Wednesday, Dougherty reported that the Nationals will begin terminating “multiple employees” who chose to not get the vaccine. 
“Sources: By the end of today, the Nationals plan to terminate contracts for multiple employees who did not comply with the vaccinate mandate implemented in August,&#8221; Dougherty posted to Twitter. “This includes Bob Boone, pitching coordinator Brad Holman and minor league pitching coach Larry Pardo.”
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Sources: By the end of today, the Nationals plan to terminate contracts for multiple employees who did not comply with the vaccinate mandate implemented in August. This includes Bob Boone, pitching coordinator Brad Holman and minor league pitching coach Larry Pardo.
&mdash; Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) <a href="https://twitter.com/dougherty_jesse/status/1438200432900382720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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On August 14, the Nationals told non-playing employees that they had two weeks to provide proof of vaccination or apply for an exemption. 
&#8220;Like many organizations, the Washington Nationals decided to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for all full-time staff,&#8221; the Nationals <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32097575/sources-houston-astros-washington-nationals-first-mlb-teams-mandate-vaccine-non-playing-employees">said</a> in a statement to ESPN. &#8220;Employees were notified of this policy on August 12 and had until August 26th to either provide proof of full vaccination, proof of first shot or apply for an exemption. As a company, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep one another safe and felt that mandating vaccines was the absolute right thing to do for our employees and our community.&#8221;
Dougherty continued to say that unvaccinated employees were placed on unpaid administrative leave on September 1. 
“On Sept. 1, the Nationals placed unvaccinated non-playing employees on unpaid admirative [sic] leave for two weeks, giving them time to review exemption requests. If, in that time, those employees changed their mind about getting vaccinated, they could have remained with the club,” Dougherty wrote. 
Two of the employees that have reportedly lost their jobs — Holman and Pardo — have threatened legal action. 
In a press release obtained by <a href="https://www.outkick.com/press-release-two-washington-nationals-members-that-refused-covid-vaccine-threaten-legal-action-after-termination/">Outkick</a>, the two former employees said that they are “filing complaints with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission for violating their rights to free expression and observation of their sincerely held religious beliefs …”
According to the statement, both Holman and Pardo applied for a religious exemption but were told that it had been denied less than 36 hours after their written summary had been sent in. 
The organization forced them to choose &#8220;between being injected with a vaccine that violates their sincerely held religious beliefs” and getting fired, the statement reads. 
“Larry and Brad made this decision after many hours of prayer. They could not and will not choose to take the vaccines even if it costs them their jobs, which it ultimately did. Any reports that Larry and Brad resigned from their positions with the Club are patently false,&#8221; reads the statement. 
Holman was the pitching coordinator for the Nationals while Pardo was a minor league pitching coach. Both have said that they retained the services of a law firm.
The COVID-19 vaccine has become a polarizing topic as institutions around the country grapple with mandates. Just last week, President Joe Biden announced that all companies with over 100 employees must require their employees get vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 tests.
Businesses that do not comply with the new order will face fines of up to $14,000 per violation.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to <a href="mailto:Sports@dailywire.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sports@dailywire.com</a>.

New York Mets v Washington Nationals

Two Washington Nationals Employees Threaten Legal Action After Losing Jobs Due To Vaccine Refusal

COVID-19 Vaccine

All it takes to derail a career is for an anonymous person to post sexual assault allegations on social media.
FP Santangelo, 53, was taken off the air late last month after an anonymous woman posted vague allegations of sexual misconduct against him. The woman made her claims on Instagram and later <a href="https://theathletic.com/login/?login_source=paywall&amp;ref_page=/2575577/2021/05/08/nationals-broadcaster-f-p-santangelo-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/">told</a> The Athletic that Santangelo made an “unwanted advance” toward her years ago. She claimed she repeatedly told him to stop. She said on Instagram that he sexually abused her, sent her “angry text messages,” and blocked her on social media.
Without evidence, Santangelo was taken off the air and is now being investigated by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. As is often the case, even if he is cleared and the charges proven false, the outcome won’t be reported.
Santangelo denied the allegations to media outlets, MEAWW <a href="https://meaww.com/fp-santangelo-sexual-abuse-allegations-washington-nationals-commentator-taken-off-air-woman">reported</a>.
&#8220;What I have read in a recently published article from an anonymous individual about me is untrue and did not happen,&#8221; Santangelo said in text messages to various media outlets. &#8220;This is not representative of who I am as a man or a professional. I am confident that my name and reputation will be fully cleared.&#8221;
As soon as the anonymous allegations surfaced, the Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9560773/Nationals-commentator-F-P-Santangelo-removed-broadcast-booth-allegations-sexual-assault.html">reported</a>, the Washington Nationals released a statement throwing Santangelo under the bus, even though it admitted that an initial investigation cleared the analyst of wrongdoing.
&#8220;Late last week, we were made aware of allegations of conduct by FP Santangelo that are inconsistent with our values as an organization,&#8221; the Nationals’ statement said. &#8220;We alerted the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network and revoked our approval of him as a member of our broadcast team. MASN assured us that they would investigate these allegations thoroughly.”
Apparently, MASN investigated the allegations and cleared Santangelo, but more anonymous posts popped up so they again disavowed him.
&#8220;After MASN notified us that their investigation was complete and that FP should be reinstated, additional posts appeared. Once again, we notified MASN and revoked our approval of FP as a member of our broadcast team indefinitely. Moving forward, we will refer all questions regarding this investigation to FP&#8217;s employer, MASN,&#8221; the statement added.
MEAWW reported that Santangelo has been on and off the air due to the allegations since April 30, missing the “Nationals&#8217; 4-3 extra-inning loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday, May 8.”
Santangelo began his Major League Baseball career with the Montreal Expos in 1995, where he played until 2001. In 2000, he was investigated for purchasing human growth hormone and accused of buying other illegal steroids as well. Santangelo said he used HGH twice – in 1997 and 2000 – as part of rehab for two separate injuries. He denied all other allegations.
Santangelo is the latest person caught up in #MeToo allegations, where no evidence or real details are needed to derail someone’s career and forever cloud them in doubt. The woman who made the allegations posted on Instagram that she didn’t want charges or compensation, she just wanted to tell her story.

F.P. Santangelo

Washington Nationals Analyst Removed After Anonymous Sexual Abuse Allegations Made On Social Media

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Sports

On Monday, when the World Series champion Washington Nationals visited the White House, one member of the team decided to flout current political correctness and don a MAGA hat, raising his arms in triumph.
That athlete was Nationals’ catcher Kurt Suzuki, who told the crowd, &#8220;I love you all.&#8221;
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&quot;I love you all! Thank you!&quot; 
Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki walks up to a microphone outside the White House and whips out a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MAGA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MAGA</a> hat.
Check out <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>&#39;s reaction: <a href="https://t.co/PdR8wFnfN8">pic.twitter.com/PdR8wFnfN8</a>
&mdash; Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) <a href="https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/1191429202609868800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In 2012, Suzuki and his wife Renee founded the Kurt Suzuki Family Foundation; its <a href="http://www.kurtsuzukifamilyfoundation.org/">website</a> states, “With the many blessings bestowed on our family, we want to do our part to improves the lives of others. Offering service to others produces the highest rewards … The Kurt Suzuki Family Foundation is a non-profit agency that is dedicated to supporting the scientific research of chronic illnesses as well as encouraging healthy lifestyle choices.&#8221;
It has been all too common in recent years for professional athletes on championship winning teams to refuse to visit the Trump White House. Ss recently as last week Nationals’ pitcher Sean Doolittle stated he would not join the team when they visited the White House, telling <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/11/01/sean-doolittle-declining-white-house-invite-i-dont-want-hang-out-with-somebody-who-talks-like-that/">The Washington Post</a>, “There’s a lot of things, policies that I disagree with, but at the end of the day, it has more to do with the divisive rhetoric and the enabling of conspiracy theories and widening the divide in this country. My wife and I stand for inclusion and acceptance, and we’ve done work with refugees, people that come from, you know, the ‘s***hole countries.’ At the end of the day, as much as I wanted to be there with my teammates and share that experience with my teammates, I can’t do it. I just can’t do it.”
He added, “People say you should go because it’s about respecting the office of the president. And I think over the course of his time in office he’s done a lot of things that maybe don’t respect the office.”
Speaking of racism and white supremacy, Doolittle said, “The rhetoric, time and time again, has enabled those kind of behaviors. That never really went away, but it feels like now people with those beliefs, they maybe feel a little bit more empowered. They feel like they have a path, maybe. I don’t want to hang out with somebody who talks like that.”
Prior to that, in June 2018 the Trump White House announced the Philadelphia Eagles were officially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/31447/trump-disinvites-philadelphia-eagles-white-house-james-barrett">disinvited</a> from the White House after only a few committed to visit to celebrate their Super Bowl victory. That prompted then-Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James during the NBA Finals between the Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors to <a href="https://www.nba.com/article/2018/06/05/warriors-cavaliers-say-theyre-not-going-white-house">state</a>, &#8220;I know no matter who wins this series, no one wants the invite anyway. So it won&#8217;t be Golden State or Cleveland going.&#8221;
U.S. Women’s Soccer Team co-captain Megan Rapinoe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ouch-trump-blasts-megan-rapinoe-after-she-says-amanda-prestigiacomo">infamously stated</a>, “I’m not going to the f&#8212;&#8212; White House.” Rapinoe’s comment triggered <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1143892329582997505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1143892329582997505&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fouch-trump-blasts-megan-rapinoe-after-she-says-amanda-prestigi">Trump to tweet</a>, “Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her &amp; the team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear. The USA is doing GREAT!”

President Trump Hosts World Series Champions,  The Washington Nationals

Nationals’ Catcher Dons MAGA Cap At White House Event Celebrating Championship

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Baseball Star Turns Down Biggest Contract In MLB History

Two Washington Nationals Employees Threaten Legal Action After Losing Jobs Due To Vaccine Refusal

Washington Nationals Analyst Removed After Anonymous Sexual Abuse Allegations Made On Social Media

Nationals’ Catcher Dons MAGA Cap At White House Event Celebrating Championship