Rival Executives See Padres as Favorites for Juan Soto, per Report

As the August 2nd MLB trade deadline inches closer, the market is heating up for Nationals outfielder Juan Soto.

Inside a week from the trade deadline, it is the Padres who are currently being viewed as the frontrunners to land Soto, according to a report from ESPN’s Buster Olney.

The 23-year-old All-Star outfielder, who is viewed by many in the industry to be a generational talent, reportedly turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract extension offer from the Nationals earlier this month. After extension talks broke down between Soto and Washington, the team became open to fielding trade calls for their star outfielder.

Soto, who is still 2.5 years from free agency, is expected to fetch far more than $440 million if he hits the open market in the winter of ’24. 

The Nationals are the worst team in baseball at 34–66, and are in no position to retain Soto as they undergo what is perceived to be a multi-year rebuild. Washington has asked for multiple high-end prospects and major league-ready players in exchange for Soto.

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If a trade is consummated, the Padres would add an immediate impact bat in the middle of their order as the team makes their playoff push in the home stretch of the season. Entering Thursday, the Padres are 55–45 on the season and hold a 2.5 game lead for the second wild card spot in the National League.

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