The $1.5M bonus the Washington Nationals gave Juan Soto when they signed the then 16-year-old outfielder out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 was at the time the largest that the club had ever given to an international free agent, and it was a significant investment made in a teenager who projected as a future power hitter in the majors even then.
“We’ll spend money when we feel it is legit,” Assistant General Manager and Vice President of International Operations Johnny DiPuglia told the Washington Post at the time.