The Juan Soto sweepstakes have taken the forefront in the trade deadline conversation as the Nationals continue to seek out the best possible return for the 23-year-old superstar. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, as of Thursday morning, rival executives consider the San Diego Padres to be the favorite to land Soto at the 2022 MLB trade deadline.
As of Thursday morning, some rival executives perceive the Padres to be the frontrunner to land Juan Soto.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 28, 2022
Any trade for Soto is expected to feature a colossal haul for the Nationals, consisting of a mix of top-level prospects and young MLB-level talent. The Padres certainly have the pieces available to make a trade happen, and the latest inklings around the league suggest they may have taken the lead over other Soto pursuers.
Virtually every team has checked in on Soto, though not every club will have the means to acquire him. The Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, and Cardinals have all been heavily linked to Soto, as have the Padres.
San Diego was dealt a bit of a blow in the form of MacKenzie Gore's injury, but a brief IL stint likely won't dissuade the Nationals from trading for the 23-year-old hurler as one of the key pieces in a Soto trade.
As Olney indicates, San Diego appears to be the frontrunner for Soto's services, so the other teams involved in the pursuit will have to try to outbid them, or turn to focus on other possible targets. A lot can change in a matter of hours ahead of the trade deadline, but the latest update on the Soto sweepstakes will be music to Padres fans' ears.
This season, Juan Soto is slashing .243/.400/.480 with 20 home runs, 45 RBI, and a league-high 84 walks across 97 games.
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