Padres News: Juan Soto Says He’s Never Been With A Team This Talented
With every big name player that was acquired by your San Diego Padres in the past few years, fans around the MLB have begun to notice that something special was being built. It is remarkable to think that last season, third baseman Manny Machado was left to carry the Friars by himself early in the year due to Fernando Tatis Jr's injury and suspension. Fast forward to this year's Spring Training and he is now joined by Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts, and Tatis (who is set to debut in April).
In San Diego, we have been watching a classic case of the rich getting richer. A majority of their core players have been secured with the team thanks to major spending this offseason from the front office. Machado himself just locked in an 11-year, $350 million extension after some back and forth negotiations.
The Friars really only have one big decision left: Will they keep Soto as a part of their roster or let him enter free agency in 2024? Despite some of his numbers dropping when he first got to San Diego via trade, his talent, both at the plate and in the outfield, fit in well with the team. And he gives them even more fire power.
In an interview provided by MLB network, the young slugger shared his thoughts about the upcoming season and how San Diego's roster has improved.
"It's going to be fun, we couldn't wait to see Tatis coming back and show what he got," said Soto. "Having Xander too, it's just an incredible team. I've never been on a team this talented and I think it's going to be great."
Soto has established himself as one of the top players in the league over the past handful of seasons. The two-time All-Star won the Silver Slugger award in both 2020 and 2021. He has had a full offseason to better understand the role in which the Padres have for him and Soto is very excited to see how he can maximize the talent around him.
