A bombshell was dropped yesterday afternoon when it was reported that Washington Nationals star Juan Soto had turned down a massive 15-year, $440 million extension from the Nationals. As a result, Washington has decided that they will be unable to reach an extension with the face of their franchise, and they will proceed to entertain trade offers for Soto as a result. In this post, we'll be looking at potential Juan Soto trade destinations.
With the MLB trade deadline just over two weeks away, that has sent the rest of the league into a frenzy. Teams are beginning to determine whether they have the assets to pursue Soto, and whether or not they are a realistic destination for one of the best players in the game.
Soto clearly believes that Washington isn't the best spot for him and his future, so that begs the question; what team would be the best destination for Soto as he seeks a way off of the Nationals? Let's take a look at the top three landing spots for the 23-year-old slugger, starting with an upstart team in the American League West.
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Juan Soto Trade Destinations, Ranked
The Mariners have caught the full attention of the rest of the MLB during their current 13-game win streak as they cruise into the All-Star break. And with Soto looking for a way out of Washington, Seattle could be looking to acquire one of the biggest stars in the game.
After failing to reach the postseason for over 20 years now, the Mariners finally have a young core that appears set to lead Seattle to more wins. Guys like J.P Crawford, Ty France, and Kyle Lewis have been around for a while, but now they are getting joined by some of the Mariners' top prospects. Julio Rodriguez and Logan Gilbert have already made the jump to the majors and are excelling this season, and Seattle still has four more prospects in the MLB's top 100 list waiting in the wings to join the major league squad shortly.
Juan Soto could seamlessly join the Mariners and be the face of their next great team. They already have a solid core that is proving to be capable of winning this season, and adding a star like Soto could be what pushes them over the top. Plus, an outfield duo of Rodriguez and Soto would make for one of the most entertaining duos in the entire sport. If Soto wants to win consistently in the future, Seattle may quickly become his preferred destination.
The Yankees, despite all the talent on their rosters over the past few seasons, have always seemed to come up short in the playoffs. They revamped their depth last offseason, though, giving star sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton more protection in the lineup, and the results have been great so far, as New York has been the top team in baseball all season long.
If you are Soto, why not try and join the top team in baseball? Everything has come together for the Yanks this season, but adding Soto could make them truly indestructible. An outfield trio of Judge, Stanton, and Soto may be one of the best in MLB history. Combine that with a lethal pitching staff and a good supporting cast behind the top three guys in the lineup, and the Yankees are going to be a tough out in the postseason.
If Soto lands in New York with the Yankees, he gets a great shot to win another championship this season. The Yanks' future is admittedly a bit up in the air after this season due to Judge's contract status, but adding Soto would give the front office more motivation to lock up Judge. New York adding Soto would make them huge title favorites, and that has to sound appealing to both Soto and the Yankees.
Whenever a big name becomes available, whether it be in free agency or via trade, it always seems like the Dodgers are linked to that name. And why wouldn't they be? They have the assets to get whoever they want, whether it be the front office's absurd spending, or the assets to land whoever they want in a trade. It only makes sense they would be the top potential destination for Soto.
Similar to New York, the Dodgers are ready to win it all this season. They have an absurd amount of star power up and down their roster, which is why it's almost laughable to think they could add Soto too. If they were able to find a way to add him, Los Angeles would be pretty close to invincible in the National League.
What makes this spot stand out over the Yankees for Soto would be how the Dodgers are set up for the future. They have guys like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman locked up on long-term deals already, and chances are they are going to reach a big deal with their ace Walker Buehler shortly. Los Angeles has a great shot of winning the World Series this season, but they are going to have a great shot pretty much every season for the next decade, which is why they would be the top destination for Juan Soto if he ends up getting traded.
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