Juan Soto trade rumors: San Diego Padres now considered frontrunners

There are going to be plenty of rumors about Juan Soto until he is actually traded. The latest reports involve the San Diego Padres.

According to Buster Olney, the Padres have now emerged as the frontrunner for Soto. Of course, this is as of Thursday morning, and that could easily change in the next few hours.

San Diego Padres favorites to land Juan Soto…for now

Being the favorites does not matter until Soto is actually traded, something that the Padres know all too well. They had been the favorites to land Max Scherzer last year, with the trade even being reported as a done deal, before the Dodgers swiped him at the last minute.

However, the Padres do make sense as a landing spot. They have the prospects that could make such a move happen as they still have three players on the MLB.com top 100 prospect list even with the ascension of C.J. Abrams. The Padres also have several young arms who are just starting their major league journey that could entice the Nationals as well.

The Padres are also looking for help in the outfield. Jurickson Profar and Nomar Mazara have been solid, but Mazara does not exactly have a track record of success at the major league level. Even with Manny Machado’s MVP caliber season, the Padres rank 14th in the NL in slugging and 12th in OPS.

Soto would certainly change that equation. He would give the Padres someone to protect Machado until Fernando Tatis Jr. returns from his ongoing wrist issues. The Padres would have a dangerous trio in the midst of their lineup, capable of going toe to toe with any team in the majors. But the deal would have to happen first.

The San Diego Padres are currently viewed as the favorites to land Juan Soto. But none of that matters until a trade officially happens.