The Washington Nationals seem poised to trade outfielder Juan Soto after he rejected their 15-year, $440 million contract extension a few weeks ago. Reportedly, they are already in deep talks with a few finalists but one of them is reportedly out: the New York Yankees.
The New York Yankees are apparently out on Juan Soto. The Cardinals, Padres, and Dodgers remain
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic and CBS Sports, the only three teams that are vying for Nationals outfielder Juan Soto are the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bowden reports that the Cardinals are offering the most talent off their major league roster and the Padres are offering the most in a prospect return. That would seemingly leave the Dodgers in third place in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, as of this publication.
The Yankees are apparently unwilling to part with Anthony Volpe, who is the Yankees’ #1 prospect and MLB.com’s #7 overall prospect. Volpe, 21, is a shortstop in Double-A for the Yankees and on a 20-80 scouting scale, all five tools are average or better.
- Hit: 60
- Power: 60
- Run: 55
- Arm: 50
- Field: 50
The Padres are a particularly intriguing team for Juan Soto. The Padres have struggled in the outfield, particularly offensively. Wil Myers has been a disappointment and he is injured once again. Trent Grisham has a .191 batting average and a .624 OPS. Left fielder Jurickson Profar is hitting .207/.324/.333 in his last 24 games.
Also, when healthy, the Padres could have a lineup with Manny Machado, Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis Jr. That core along with Luke Voit and Jake Cronenworth could rival the Dodgers lineup. It would also be huge in the Padres trying to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West this season and for the next two seasons. If the Padres were able to extend Soto, it would be even bigger.
But, first, we’ll have to see if the Nationals even trade Soto at all. If they want to do it before the trade deadline, they will only have about 48 hours for a deal to come together.