Trade Proposal: Nationals Send Juan Soto to Yankees For Three Prospects, Two Big Leaguers
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With Juan Soto reportedly available for a trade, after he turned down a massive contract from the Nationals, it's no surprise to hear that the Yankees are interested.
Soto would flourish in New York, helping the best team in baseball go all-in for these next three years before he hits free agency (and potentially longer if they'd be able to lock him up with an extension).
The 23-year-old outfielder is one of the best players in baseball, he's a left-handed slugger that would mash at Yankee Stadium and he'd shine in New York both on and off the field.
Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here, though. Every team and every fan base is currently dreaming of a Soto trade since he'd be a tremendous fit for just about every big-league franchise.
While there are no guarantees that Soto actually gets moved before next month's trade deadline—Washington is under no obligation to deal him—what would a Soto trade actually look like?
We've already heard from a few MLB insiders with an estimation of how many top prospects would need to be sent to Washington for the superstar outfielder. MLB.com took those rumors to the next level on Wednesday, drafting seven trade proposals involving seven different clubs. One of those hypotheticals included the Yankees.
Here's the trade, with some analysis from the proposal's architect Jason Catania of MLB.com. Then, we'll break it down a little further and predict if this could actually come to fruition.
Yankees get: OF Juan Soto
Nationals get: 2B Gleyber Torres, LHP Nestor Cortes, SS Anthony Volpe (MLB No. 8 prospect), OF Jasson Domínguez (MLB No. 39 prospect), LHP Ken Waldichuk (MLB No. 72 prospect)
Just for a second, imagine a lineup featuring Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Soto -- three of the most awe-inspiring offensive forces in the sport. And if Judge, who you might’ve heard turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension in April, does leave in free agency, well, at least the Yankees would have a worthy (and much younger) replacement in Soto.
With the Nationals aiming to retool on the fly rather than embark on a long rebuild, they’re going to covet a package that combines elite prospects and young, controllable players. The Yankees can make that happen as they push toward their first title since 2009, but it would take a big bite out of their roster and a hefty chunk out of the top of their deep farm system, too. — Catania
The logic here is that Soto is not only an incredible ballplayer that makes the Yankees better, but he's also insurance in case Aaron Judge does end up leaving in free agency this offseason.
Regardless of whether the Yankees extend Soto—something they would undoubtedly pursue if he's acquired via trade—he's under his current contract through the 2024 season. That gives the Yankees three postseason runs with Soto in pinstripes, a chance to optimize their window of contention in the primes of Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton and more.
In this deal, the Yankees would make some significant sacrifices. They'd be parting with three of their five best prospects along with second baseman Gleyber Torres and All-Star left-hander Nestor Cortes.
When it comes to the prospects, this is an extremely talented group. Anthony Volpe is poised to be the shortstop of the future with the Yankees—the former first-round pick is in the process of rocketing through New York's farm system as the organization's No. 1 prospect.
Jasson Dominguez is one of the most hyped prospects in recent history, a jacked 19-year-old with plenty of potential, something he flashed just a few days ago in the All-Star Futures Game.
Then there's Waldichuk, the organization's top pitching prospect. The 24-year-old is a left-hander that broke out in 2021 and has blossomed in 2022, earning a promotion to Triple-A.
Washington isn't getting New York's top three prospects, something another organization could potentially offer, but this is still quite a haul. Just the fact that the Yankees would agree to part with Volpe and Dominguez says a lot in this hypothetical scenario.
The pair of big leaguers attached here is nice, as both are enjoying quality seasons and have team control, but it's also where this proposal makes the Nationals turn away.
If Washington is trading Soto, then they won't be contending for quite some time. They already have the worst record in baseball this season (31-63 at the All-Star break). That in mind, players like Torres and Cortes might not be around by the time this club is, in theory, contending again. That is, unless the Nationals believe they have the internal talent and financial ability to turn their roster around in the next year or two. Torres is under contract for only two more seasons (just like Soto) and Cortes is a free agent after the 2025 campaign.
As good as those two have been in 2022, are the Nationals certain that they can continue to produce for years to come? Cortes has pitched like an ace this year, but he's shown a bit of regression in recent weeks, eclipsing his career-high for innings in a single season. Torres is hitting again, looking more like the phenom that took the league by storm in 2018 and 2019, but can he keep it up?
Washington may prefer to load up on prospects for Soto instead, asking for four or five of them rather than big-league players. After all, certain prospects are just about ready to make the jump to the bigs, putting them in a position to begin reaching their potential in the next few years. The Nationals might also ask the Yankees to take Patrick Corbin and his contract, something MLB.com included in their Soto trade proposal with the Dodgers.
This package would be incredibly valuable from the Yankees here, and yet it still doesn't feel like enough for Soto. If New York were to offer something like this, though, it would be crystal clear that they mean business and might be willing to modify their offer slightly, giving Washington exactly what they are asking for.
New York would also need to decide if this big of a haul is worth it for Soto. They can always prioritize Judge's contract situation and move forward with these talented prospects.
Then again, a chance to acquire a player of Soto's caliber doesn't come around too often. If there was ever a time to part ways with some highly-touted assets and go for it, it's right here with this generational talent.
MORE:
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- Why This Cubs All-Star Is Ideal Fit For Yankees
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