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The Washington Nationals are in uncharted territory heading into the 2022 MLB trade deadline. They are on the verge of a Juan Soto trade. Moving a 23-year-old player who received MVP votes in three of his first four seasons in the majors will be a historic deal.
Soto's rapid emergence as a superstar was unprecedented. His insane hitting abilities, particularly his plate discipline, are phenomenal and would be a massive boost to any lineup in the majors. The outfielder is a top 10 player and garnering attention from all around the league.
Soto declining a contract extension worth $440 million is a sign that he is ready to be on a competitive team. The franchise is up for sale, which is another sign that the blockbuster trade is going to happen soon. The silver lining for the Nationals is that they have the chance to acquire most, if not all, of the foundation for their next great team in a Soto trade.
As teams line up to get a shot at trading for him, here are the three key components the Nationals have to land in a Juan Soto trade.
3 things Nationals must acquire in Juan Soto trade
3. A left-handed pitching prospect
The Nationals' pitching situation is a complete mess right now. They absolutely need to get more help on the mound as they move on from their superstar slugger. Fortunately, they have several prospects in the pitching department that could make their way up to the majors next season.
Among the Nationals' top 10 prospects are five right-handed pitchers, including Cade Cavali, MLB.com's 45th best prospect. 24-year-old Josiah Gray, who has been the Nats' best starter this season, also throws right. It's never a bad idea to take a swing or two on pitching. As it pertains to a Soto trade, Washington should not only try to add to their pitching prospects but also pick up a left-handed hurler.
The Nationals should aim to get a promising lefty to balance out their collection of arms but don't absolutely have to. The most important thing is getting someone who can develop into a big-league contributor.
2. At least one MLB-ready player
Prospects are certainly a key part of any Juan Soto trade but the Nationals can't put all their eggs into unproven baskets. They need to land at least one player that is young and has proven himself as a solid player at the MLB level.
The St. Louis Cardinals are perhaps the team best suited to land Soto because of all the young players they have in the big leagues. NL Rookie of the Year candidate Brendan Donovan headlines five players 25 years old or younger that have at least 100 plate appearances so far this season. One of them, Nolan Gorman, could be what gets St. Louis over the top of other teams.
Plenty of other suitors in a Soto trade have promising young players to dangle as trade bait. MacKenzie Gore, Michael Harris, Julio Urias and Gleyber Torres are among the many youngsters that teams in the race for Soto could offer Washington. Although all the teams pursuing a Soto trade would prefer to keep their key young players, the Nats should get someone they can showcase right away and grow along with the prospects they get.
In order to make sure they get value for Soto and maintain some level of competitiveness, they need to get a good, young player in return for Soto. That player still may not be the best asset they get but they could be a huge part of their future. It would also make a trade more palatable to new ownership, who can see (part of) the return on the trade immediately rather than waiting for it all to develop in the farm system.
1. Multiple top 100 prospects
The Nationals should not settle for anything less than some of the best talents in the minor leagues when they trade Juan Soto. Positional fit does not matter that much. They simply have to get the best players they can get to make up for all the talent they are about to trade away.
The catching position is satisfied with Keibert Ruiz, one of the prospects Washington acquired for Trea Turner and Max Scherzer last season, but they should still welcome someone like Francisco Alvarez (of the New York Mets) or Gabriel Moreno (of the Toronto Blue Jays) since they are among the top prospects in the game right now.
The prospects don't have to be younger than Soto — it will be tough to do so anyway given how young the superstar is — but it would be very helpful. Washington will be rebuilding for a while, so obtaining key players that are still plenty of years away from their primes will be helpful. Overall, the Nats need to secure their stars for tomorrow in exchange for their superstar of today.
