Juan Soto: “I Want to Know Who I’m Playing For”
He’s tired of waiting.
With the San Diego Padres continuing trade negotiations with the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, outfielder Juan Soto just wants it over with.
According to Randy Miller of NJ.com, Soto “doesn’t care where he goes. He knows the Padres aren’t keeping him, so he wants them to trade him.”
Miller also added that Soto would be happy playing for either the Yankees or Blue Jays, who are currently the two frontrunners for a trade. However, Soto “just wants to know who he’s playing for.”
The Yankees were previously unopposed in their pursuit of the 25-year-old superstar outfielder, but after balking at the Padres’ asking price, negotiations have stalled. This has allowed the Blue Jays, an AL East rival, to begin their own trade talks with San Diego, although it’s unclear how far such negotiations have progressed.
Even with Toronto entering the sweepstakes, the Bronx Bombers are still seen as the favorite to land Soto. The Yankees and Padres are expected to resume their trade talks on Monday.
Soto’s comments, however, will likely add extra pressure on the Padres to trade him before MLB’s Winter Meetings end on Wednesday.
At the same time, the Yankees can use this to their advantage. They previously were dissatisfied with San Diego’s asking price, which included pitcher Michael King, pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, and possibly four or five other prospects. With this new knowledge, perhaps the Yankees can get the Padres to lower the price.
Nonetheless, the Yankees have the perfect opportunity to bring in a desperately needed top-tier bat to their lineup, so expect negotiations to speed up over the next few days.
