Should the Nationals trade Juan Soto? Your questions, answered.

The Nationals are considering trading Juan Soto after the outfielder turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract offer. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

A week ago, it seemed impossible to believe the Washington Nationals — the lowly Washington Nationals — would somehow be at the center of their sport when the showcase event of the summer arrived. And yet here we are with Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game set for Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and the swirl is decidedly around the Nats.

The reason: news that star outfielder Juan Soto rejected a 15-year, $440-million contract extension from the team. That would be enough to put Soto, the Nationals’ lone all-star, in the spotlight. But because Soto’s decision also means the Nats will explore trading him this summer — well, that’s enough not only to rock D.C.’s baseball foundation, but to potentially change the landscape of the sport.

Chelsea Janes, our national baseball writer (who happened to be the lead beat writer on the Nats when Soto came to the majors), is with me in Los Angeles and joined me for this week’s Q&A.

Here are some of the questions we answered:

• Is it a no-brainer for the Nationals to deal Soto before the trade deadline?
• How much will it take for the Nationals to re-sign Soto?
• What kind of return can the Nationals get in a deal for Soto?

Read the full chat below.

Looking for more? Catch up on The Post’s coverage of the Nationals:

• Svrluga: Juan Soto is at the center of baseball’s swirl. That’s not going away soon.
• Nationals draft Elijah Green, a high school outfielder, with No. 5 pick
• Nationals reach the all-star break in an unfamiliar way: With a win

Thomas Floyd, an editor for The Post’s Sports section, produced this Q&A.