Padres Reportedly Holding Up Juan Soto Trade With Yankees, Reviewing Medicals
The San Diego Padres are reportedly responsible for the delay in the Juan Soto trade with the Yankees, per insider Bryan Hoch.
Although the two sides have reportedly been close to a deal all day — with reported players in the trade even being mentioned — the Yankees' staffers left the Winter Meetings without a confirmed deal.
We now know the cause of the delay, thanks to Hoch.
It's understandable that the Padres want to ensure they have all the correct medical information before agreeing to a deal. The Padres are trading one of baseball's best young players, so they want to be absolutely sure they're maximizing his value.
Michael King — the reported headliner of the deal — fractured his throwing elbow in 2022 and underwent major surgery, so the Padres are likely checking all his medical information to ensure they have no cause for concern.
A deal still seems likely between the two sides, but it did not happen at the Winter Meetings despite tons of reports coming out on Wednesday saying the deal was close.
For now, we'll continue to wait for a finalized agreement, and it sounds like we're just waiting for the Padres to give the OK.
