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Just after 2:00 p.m. Friday, Juan Soto walked down the long ramp from the player parking lot at Nationals Park and took the same route he had walked so many games before and headed to the clubhouse he once called home.
But instead of stepping in fully — instead of going to a hidden locker, instead of changing into red workout clothes, instead of grabbing a late lunch from the chef who cooks Latin American food in the cafeteria — Soto paused in the small lobby. He was holding envelopes for the many Washington Nationals clubhouse employees. As he passed them out, his familiar laugh could be heard from the hallway.
Then Soto still had a few hundred steps ahead of him. For the first time in his four-year career, he was in DC playing for the road team, his locker next to first baseman Josh Bell’s on the visiting side. When the Nationals traded Soto and Bell to the San Diego Padres on August 2, Soto immediately knew a reunion was coming.
Ten days ago he knew nothing but the Nationals, the team that signed him as a 16-year-old outfield player from the Dominican Republic.
Boswell: The deal with Juan Soto ends an era. A new one will start sooner than you think.
Ten days later, they faced Soto, 23 and a veteran of the brightest spotlights, in a 10-5 victory for the Padres.
“There’s just a lot of emotions, a lot of feelings that I have in this stadium,” said Soto said Friday afternoon in the Padres’ dugout, surrounded by more than 30 members of the media and six cameras. “A lot of memories I had in the past so it feels pretty good to be back and see these guys and enjoy the moment. There have been some great moments here, but now we just have to keep going.”
About 30 minutes before the first pitch, the Nationals played video for Bell and Soto, both stretching between third baseline and midfield. As Soto watched, he chatted with Nelson Cruz, Luis García and Yadiel Hernandez, then hugged each of his former teammates. Soto’s leg of the tribute began with a 19-year-old hitting his first career homer in 2018. He ended up with some of the biggest hits in club history: Soto’s game-winning single against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2019 wild card game, his favorite moment at Nationals Park; his spot-on homer in Game 5 of the National League Division Series that fall; then his superb shot from Gerrit Cole in Game 1 of the World Series, which landed on the train tracks at Minute Maid Park.
After the early crowd gave the couple a standing ovation, Soto’s face appeared on the big screen. He wore an inverted Padres hat after trading red for brown and had included a message for DC fans.
“I love you all, even if I have another team’s uniform. I will still love you guys,” Soto said over the stadium speakers. “Thank you very much. You made me what I am today.”
Early in the three-game streak, Soto went 2 for 6 with a 111-mile double, an RBI single and a loud flyout down the middle warning lane. Both hits came in the Padres’ fifth heat against starter Cory Abbott and reliever Victor Arano. Bell ended 0 for 5 with a walk.
Trent Grisham broke the game up with a three-run homer in front of Arano, who recorded two outs and was marked on five hits for five runs. During the rally, García, who eventually retired in eighth with groin strains, went for a double play, throwing for first before stepping for second, ultimately causing no one to retire.
Screens around the stadium were already malfunctioning – and they would be for much of the competition – leaving fans with no direct access to the inning, count or result. And before that relative blackout, Soto was linked to a mic on the Apple TV Plus show, discussing The Trade while playing defense on the right.
After turning down a $440 million 15-year renewal offer, Soto was the biggest storyline in Major League Baseball for most of July. Would he end up with the Los Angeles Dodgers, following the path taken by Trea Turner and Max Scherzer at the close of last year? How about the Padres? The St Louis Cardinals? Or could Soto stay in Washington if the Nationals can’t find an offer that matches a huge price tag?
Thanks to the Padres and general manager AJ Preller, the Nationals’ bar was met. Soto and Bell were shipped for six players: shortstop CJ Abrams, outfielders Robert Hassell III and James Wood, left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana, and first baseman/designated hitter Luke Voit. But before joining San Diego, Soto had echoed some thoughts in weeks of questions about his future.
He loved Washington. He understood that sport is a business. He would be very relieved when the circus closed up shop.
Friday’s timing, however, carried heavy weight on Soto’s first trip back to Washington. When Bryce Harper joined the Philadelphia Phillies in free agency, he returned a full offseason after playing his last game for the Nationals. After receiving treatment last summer, Scherzer and Turner only came to DC this season, as Scherzer had switched from the Dodgers to the New York Mets during that time. Anthony Rendon, on the other hand, hasn’t made it here as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.
With those star-studded exits, it took fans months to digest before they saw her in another uniform in this building. But with Soto, it was more like pouring alcohol on a fresh wound.
“It feels different,” said manager Dave Martinez. “It just feels kind of weird because it feels like he was just here yesterday.”
There was also a big difference in how Soto was introduced before his first punch. For the past five seasons, public address announcer Jerome Hruska has put his handwriting on Soto’s name. He pulled out the vowels in Juan. His voice rose to the last consonant of Soto’s first name. And when he hit soto — the two syllables that were synonymous with a smile and a massive swing in Washington earlier this month — Hruska jumped to his high notes.
But not Friday. As Soto exited the circle on deck, Hruska bluntly spoke his name, just as he does to all opposing players. To leave room for another ovation, catcher Keibert Ruiz went in front of the plate and Abbott climbed from the hill. Soto raised his helmet, the cheering grew louder until it faded into a cloudless evening. Soto then kicked dirt around the batter’s box and prepared to strike.
“You only notice that when you’re there,” Soto said when asked if he was more emotional than expected. “And when I stepped on the plate and saw my teammates and saw everyone clapping, that was very cool.”