The Washington Nationals may be on the verge of doing the unthinkable; trading away 23-year-old Juan Soto. The Nationals and Soto are reportedly far apart in contract negotiations, and there's a growing sense from Washington that a deal may be dead in the water. If the Nationals can't figure a way to appease Soto and get him to extend his contract, there's a real chance they'd look to trade him for a massive haul in order to avoid letting him walk in free agency for nothing.

There will be many teams interested in bringing Soto on board. After all, a 23-year-old generational talent who is still entering his prime doesn't come on the trade market very often. Among the teams who must be at the forefront of the conversation, of course, are the New York Yankees. Soto will have two more years of arbitration until hitting free agency, but the Yankees would likely try to sign him to a long-term extension immediately.

The Yankees have long been searching for a power left-handed outfielder who could fit right into the heart of their lineup, and Soto could fill that role for years to come. It would likely decimate the Yankees' farm system, but we're talking about a true Hall of Fame caliber player in Soto, one who could instantly make the Yankees World Series favorites.

With that in mind, here is the best trade package the Yankees could offer the Washington Nationals in exchange for Juan Soto.

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Yankees Juan Soto trade packages

Yankees receive: Juan Soto, Patrick Corbin

Nationals receive: Gleyber Torres, Oswald Peraza, Jasson Dominguez, Ken Waldichuk, Yoendrys Gomez

 

This would certainly be an interesting trade that would benefit both sides. The Nationals would not only get some proven talent in Gleyber Torres, who is still just 25, but they'd also add a slew of top prospects from New York including three of the team's top five prospects in Peraza, Dominguez, and Waldichuk. For the rebuilding Nationals, that would definitely be quite the haul. Of those prospects, Peraza (38), Dominguez (39), and Waldichuk (72) rank in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospect list. They'd also fit nicely into the rebuilding timeline for the Nationals. Adding Gomez onto the deal provides a high-upside 22-year-old right-hander to go along with the southpaw in Waldichuk.

The Nationals would solve their Soto problem by revamping their farm system and adding an everyday infielder in Torres, while simultaneously getting the stomach-churning contract of Patrick Corbin off the books. The Yankees had an interest in Corbin before he joined the Nationals, and while he's not been as advertised in D.C., Brian Cashman may be willing to take on his contract in hopes he can turn things around in the Bronx. Corbin signed a six-year, $140 million deal with the Nationals of which he is currently in the fourth season. The Yankees would owe Corbin $59 million over the next two seasons if they do agree to trade him, but that cost could be well worth the addition of a perennial All-Star who has been compared to some of the greatest players in MLB history.

Additionally, if the Yankees manage to nab Soto, that could also act as a boost or some sort of leverage in their conversations with Aaron Judge, whom they are also desperate to extend. The idea of pairing up with Soto in the outfield could prove too much for Judge to pass up, though he'll still be ensuring the money is right if he does sign an extension in the Bronx.

Throughout his career in MLB, Soto has slashed .293/.427/.540 with 117 home runs and 354 RBI across a total of 554 games. The two-time All-Star is still 23 years old and has practically limitless potential. The Yankees not only want to win now, but they want to keep winning for a long time, and there may be no player better suited to help them do that than Soto. The short porch in right field may see a lot more action if Soto comes to town, though he's gifted enough to put a ball into the seats anywhere in the ballpark.

Any Soto trade comes down to whether or not the Nationals decide to pull the trigger. But if they do opt to make him available ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 2, the Yankees need to be the first team on the phone with GM Mike Rizzo.