Washington Nationals news & notes: Davey Martinez at the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings

The group that signed a then-16-year-old Juan Soto out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 (with a $1.5M signing bonus) wasn’t part of the dialog earlier than the now-26-year-old signed his document 15-year/$765M free agent take care of the New York Mets on Sunday evening.

No rumors. No supply in any experiences.

No triumphant return to play alongside the gamers Washington acquired from San Diego’s Padres when the Nationals traded 2+ years of management of the outfielder for 5 prime prospects within the Padres’ system in 2022 (MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, James Wooden, Robert Hassell III, and Jarlin Susana).

Soto, after all, reportedly turned down a 15-year/$440M extension supply when he was nonetheless within the nation’s capital, which led, partially, to the choice to deal him when the Nats did, however as his one-time supervisor mentioned after the take care of the Mets was introduced, he clearly made an excellent choice for himself and his household in the long run.

“He’s going to assist the Mets, as everyone knows,” Davey Martinez instructed reporters on Monday.

“I’m pleased with him. I’m glad he’s in a position to care for himself, the household, and plenty of generations,” and, no, Martinez mentioned, he wasn’t too stunned by the ultimate quantity.

“Figuring out what I learn about how the sport’s going? No. He’s an amazing participant.

“Like I’ve already mentioned, I like Juan. I can sit right here and say that I’m the one supervisor that gained a World Collection with him. How about that?”

Martinez was requested if, given what it lastly took to get Soto signed, he was nervous in any respect about attempting to remain aggressive when large market groups can swoop in and signal offers for greater than three-quarters of a billion {dollars}.

“I can’t have a look at what different groups are doing and what they’re spending. My focus is on the Washington Nationals and what they do,” the skipper mentioned. “I feel we’re in an excellent place, I actually do.

“One factor about Juan, once we traded him, we obtained some actually good younger expertise. We’ve obtained a pair within the large leagues now and a pair are nonetheless coming.

“I feel we’re in an excellent place now, and … we’re getting higher.”

The previous mates (and 2019 World Collection champions) will see loads of one another now that Soto is again within the NL East.

“We’re going to bang heads. We did a fairly good job with him with the Yankees once we confronted them,” he mentioned, and his personal gamers understand how gifted Soto is after just a few years now taking part in towards him.

“They know what they’re up towards,” Martinez mentioned.

Watching Soto early in his professional profession, early in his time within the majors, and as he grew into the participant he’s in the present day, Martinez was requested, did he indicators of Soto being a generational-type expertise from the beginning?

“Once I first noticed him, folks checked out me and — like I form of examine it to Barry [Bonds], when Barry was — proper? This child, he was totally different. The ball comes off his bat totally different. The best way he approaches the hitting was manner totally different than loads of youngsters I’ve seen.

“However the one factor that I at all times keep in mind about him, the primary dialog I had, the very first thing that got here out of his mouth once I requested him what motivates him, what drives him, and he simply got here out and mentioned, ‘I like baseball.’

“Really you possibly can see it in him. He loves taking part in the sport.”

Whereas he tries to remain targeted on his personal membership, (which was onerous with 5 of first first 7 of the questions on Soto to start out his press convention Monday on the 2024 Winter Conferences in Dallas, TX), Martinez mentioned he and the Nationals’ brass try to maintain constructing the following contender in D.C., after the membership kicked off the organizational reboot on the commerce deadlines in 2021 and ‘22.

“Look, we’ve obtained a younger core,” Martinez defined.

“We’re actually not going to fiddle with what we now have proper now, and I don’t wish to take away something from the youngsters that we’ve obtained developing as properly.

“However we do want so as to add some veteran guys. We’re exploring all types of choices. I do know we’ve talked to fairly just a few gamers already.

“We’re engaged with some issues. As you recognize, [GM and President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo], he’s going to go on the market and work diligently to get us higher.

“Proper now I’ve been in conversations with some gamers about what’s developing for Spring Coaching and watching them work out and watching them hit and all types of stuff.

“My focus is on what we now have proper now. If we add gamers to assist us, that may be nice.”