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The San Francisco Giants aren't the standout team to land Juan Soto. Many expect the Washington Nationals superstar to end up on the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers. ESPN's Buster Olney said the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays are strong landing destinations for Soto as well. But can San Francisco put together a trade package that catches Washington's attention?
I would label the Giants farm system as “sneaky good.” No, it doesn't have the flashiest names. However, the Giants have interesting prospect depth. There is one prospect who would absolutely need to be added to a potential Juan Soto deal. Then the teams could negotiate which other players are involved.
But I am going to make that job easier for them and break down the best possible trade package the Giants can offer the Nationals.
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The best Juan Soto trade package Giants must offer Nationals
The mandatory centerpiece
A potential Juan Soto trade to San Francisco would need to be highlighted by Marco Luciano. Luciano is San Francisco's No. 1 overall prospect. Luciano, a 20-year old shortstop, is MLB's No. 9 overall prospect, per MLB.com. He's actually moved up on the list after starting the season at No. 13 overall.
At 6'2, Luciano is a tall shortstop. Some people project he could move to third base at some point due to his strong arm and size. His most promising trait is his power. MLB.com gives Luciano a 65 power grade. At just 20-years old, he will add even more pop as he continues to develop.
Luciano is the fourth best prospect who could be used in a Juan Soto trade. Toronto's Gabriel Moreno, St. Louis' Jordan Walker, and the Yankees' Anthony Volpe are all narrowly ahead of him on MLB's top prospects list. The other prospects ahead of him are on teams not expected to be in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.
Marco Luciano is the starting point. But San Francisco would need to add more.
The full package
The Nationals are expected to ask for young starting pitching. The Giants' No. 2 prospect Kyle Harrison or No. 4 prospect Will Bednar would catch their attention.
Harrison is a 20-year old left-hander and Bednar is a 22-year old right-hander. Either would suffice, but Harrison holds a bit more value.
The Giants would then need to add at least three or four more top 20 prospects.
No. 8 prospect Hunter Bishop, an outfielder, would add positional versatility to a trade. The Giants could then add a few more prospects between No. 10 and No. 20 to finalize a deal.
Here is the proposed deal I would offer the Nationals if I were the Giants:
Washington receives SS Marco Luciano, LHP Kyle Harrison, OF Hunter Bishop, RHP Randy Rodriguez, C Adrian Sugastey, and LHP Seth Corry. San Francisco receives OF Juan Soto.
If that trade didn't get the job done, I would remove Corry and add Will Bednar.
Is this deal worth it?
Yes, that's quite a bit of prospect capital to give up for a guy hitting .250 this season. But Juan Soto also has an OPS north of .900 and an OBP at .400. However, people need to dig deeper than his 2022 numbers. This is a 23-year old with an already proven track record. He's had postseason experience and has displayed the ability to succeed in MLB.
Teams are hoping that top prospects turn into stars. But even the best prospects are not guaranteed to pan out in the big leagues. And Juan Soto is an established superstar.
This trade is worth it.
