The San Diego Padres parted ways with quite an investment in order for them to acquire Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals. Soto is still –and will be for a long time — among the greatest hitters in baseball, but there's also the potential that San Diego sends him somewhere else.
Juan Soto trade rumors gaining more steam
It's hard to imagine the Padres using Juan Soto as a trade chip, considering the package they sent to the Nationals in exchange for the Dominican superstar just less than a year ago, but if they are to pull off such a transaction, sources of ESPN's Jeff Passan said that San Diego will go big game hunting to get help for their pitching staff.
“The obvious focus is on acquiring near-major league-ready starting pitching, sources said. And teams rich in that include the Yankees (Clarke Schmidt, Drew Thorpe, Chase Hampton), Cubs (Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, Hayden Wesneski) and Mariners (Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock). Chicago almost certainly won't move Cade Horton, and Seattle will hesitate to move Woo or Bryce Miller, with George Kirby and Logan Gilbert strictly off-limits for what amounts to a rental player.
Of course, it's Juan Soto, one of the best hitters in baseball, the man for whom Preller mortgaged his farm system. So if he does in fact move, the return assuredly won't be piddling.”
In 2023, his first full season with the Padres, Soto hit .275/.410/.519 recorded 35 home runs, 109 RBIs, and drew 132 walks, while also posting an OPS+ of 158.
Soto has one more year of arbitration eligibility left before potentially hitting the free-agent market in 2025.
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