MLB News: San Diego Padres Reportedly Trade for Nationals Star Juan Soto

Juan Soto, the biggest name on the trade market, appears to be heading to the San Diego Padres in a massive deal.

Baseball fans didn't even have to wait until 3PM MLB trade deadline today to hear the news that Juan Soto is headed out of Washington. After weeks of buildup, the San Diego Padres have reportedly landed Juan Soto and Josh Bell in exchange for five prospects and one major league player.

ESPN's Jeff Passan was one of the first to break the news.

The package going back to Washington for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, sources tell ESPN:

- LHP MacKenzie Gore
- OF Robert Hassell III
- SS C.J. Abrams
- OF James Wood
- RHP Jarlin Susana
- one more major league player

That's the only holdup right now to the agreed-upon deal.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 2, 2022

But then things got interesting as far as the "one more major league player". Multiple insiders reported that Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer was initially included in the deal. However, Hosmer has a 10-team no-trade list that, surprise, the Nationals are on. 

That apparently put the San Diego-Soto deal in complete limbo, but according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Soto is officially a Padre.

The Juan Soto deal is done with the #Padres, and does NOT include Eric Hosmer.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 2, 2022

The Dodgers were certainly in on the Soto sweepstakes, but in the end, the Padres, helmed by notorious wheeler-and-dealer A.J. Preller, won the biggest prize of the trade deadline.

As everyone expected, and as the Nationals communicated to potential suitors, Soto's price tag wasn't cheap.

The deal included lefty McKenzie Gore, the former top prospect in all of baseball and CJ Abrams, a well-regarded shortstop and former sixth-overall pick who's struggled so far in his first year in the bigs (.605).

The other three prospects in the deal include two of San Diego's top three in their system according to MLB Pipeline: outfielder Robert Hassell III (#1), James Wood (#3), and right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana (#14).

MLB.com's Jon Heyman reported that despite the "one major league player" piece of the trade being undecided, it's not in danger of stopping the trade.

The deal will get done either way, according to sources. Hosmer is in a tough spot as it’s right to decline to go to DC, but Soto deal isn’t in danger. https://t.co/InA7tuc2bW

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 2, 2022