Padres Rumors: Insider Proposes Massive Trade Package to Send Juan Soto to American League
One of the biggest storylines that surround the San Diego Padres as they enter into the offseason is what the team will do with star outfielder Juan Soto. Soto is entering the final year of his contract, and there has been plenty of buzz about the team possibly moving him this winter.
San Diego has shown little to no willingness to pay Soto the hefty financial amount that it would take to retain him past this season, so it makes sense for them to trade him for future assets. His value is at its highest right now, with an entire season left to go on his deal.
If the Padres were to trade their star player, it wouldn’t come cheap for whatever team landed him, however. San Diego may not get fair value for its services, but it certainly will want to receive some parts to use toward their future success.
MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic put together a few trade packages for Soto, and one of them includes sending him to the Pacific Northwest.
This one has San Diego landing young pitcher Bryce Miller and at least another strong prospect from the Mariners system. It would be quite the haul for the Padres if this deal happened.
“The Mariners are blessed with enough starting pitching to offer Miller and one of their top five prospects, either outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez or catcher Harry Ford, in a two-for-one deal for Soto. It would be a huge price to pay for possibly only one year of Soto, but unless the Mariners can sign Shohei Ohtani or Cody Bellinger in free agency, how else can they improve their offense enough to make the playoffs next year and have a legitimate shot at a world championship?”
If Seattle landed Soto, it would help propel them in the AL West, and the American League as a whole. He would be the perfect complement to their young star Julio Rodriguez, and the Mariners could build around the two for years.
Obviously, trading for a player who isn’t on a long-term deal is a risk, but Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto is known for taking some risks in his career. This would be a massive one, but one that could help the Mariners inch closer to winning their first-ever World Series title.
They missed the playoffs this season by only a few games, so they're close to finally breaking through as a consistent playoff threat. Getting Soto into the mix would vastly help things, and it would be a hell of a move for this team.
