Nationals tender 2021 contracts to Soto, Turner

The Nationals tonight tendered contracts to Juan Soto and Trea Turner, their only remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible players, in a couple of entirely expected-but-required transactions.

All Major League Baseball clubs had until 8 p.m. Eastern time to either offer 2021 contracts to their players who are eligible for arbitration this winter (generally those with more than three but fewer than six years of big league service time) or non-tender them and let them become free agents.

There was never any question the Nationals would tender contracts to their two best offensive players. They took care of their other arbitration-eligible player Tuesday, agreeing with Joe Ross on a $1.5 million salary for next season.

With today's procedural move out of the way, the Nats now face the larger challenge of negotiating 2021 salaries with both Soto and Turner. And perhaps even attempting to lock one or both stars up to long-term extensions.

Soto is arbitration-eligible for the first time in his career despite having only two years, 134 days of service time. The young slugger qualified as a Super Two player, which gives the top 22 percent of big leaguers with more than two but fewer than three years of service time an early jump into the arbitration process.

That means Soto, who made only $629,400 (prorated to $233,111 for the 60-game season) in 2020, is due for a massive raise. Various projections have his 2021 salary anywhere from $4.5 million to $8.5 million, and whatever figure he winds up at will set the bar for future salaries before he's eligible for free agency following the 2024 season.

Turner is entering his third of four years of arbitration eligibility and also stands to earn a nice raise from his 2020 salary of $7.45 million ($2,759,259 prorated). His projected 2021 figure ranges from $9.4 million to $16.6 million.

Turner, who will be eligible for free agency following the 2022 season, is a prime candidate for long-term extension talks, and surely the Nationals are interested in attempting to lock up their franchise shortstop for years to come. For his part, Turner has expressed an interest in a long-term deal in vague terms.

The Nationals, Soto and Turner have until Jan. 15 to agree to terms on their 2021 salaries. If they can't come to agreement by that date, both sides are required to submit competing arbitration proposals and schedule a hearing before a three-person panel in early February. Teams and players are always free to continue negotiating throughout the process, and only a handful of arbitration cases actually reach a hearing each year.