Juan Soto Going to the Padres in a Blockbuster Trade
The impact of this humongous trade on the rest of the MLB
Juan Soto, the superstar outfielder, has been traded to the San Diego Padres in a league-changing move along with the first baseman, Josh Bell.
In return, the Padres had to give a massive haul of left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfielder Robert Hassell III, shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielder James Wood, right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana, and veteran first baseman Luke Voit.
This move, while lopsided in terms of player capital, is worth it for a team looking to build a star core. Juan Soto is extremely talented, being a two-time all-star who won this year’s Home Run Derby while only 23 years old. A trio of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Juan Soto sets up the Padres very well for the future.
Will Myers, the longest-tenured player on the Padres, had this to say about the new core, “It’s pretty impressive to have those three types of guys on one team in the same lineup… Excited to see that trio, hopefully in the next week or two.”
Just a few weeks ago, many thought this trade was extremely unlikely to happen. Having a player like Soto on your lineup for the next few years seems irresistible, but the Padres seemed to want him more.
Juan Soto recently turned down what would have been the biggest contract in MLB history (15 years, $440 million). This left the Washington Nationals and Mike Rizzo, general manager of the Nationals, wanting to take advantage of the time left on Juan’s contract and decide his next destination later on.
However, the trade offer by the Padres was too enticing, leaving the Nationals with no other choice but to let go of their key contributor. According to Mike Rizzo, “We set the bar very, very high, and one team exceeded it and that’s the deal we made.” Furthermore, Rizzo commended the Padres ownership for not being “afraid,” and instead being more “aggressive.”
This historical trade will most certainly have major ramifications on the MLB. With the nearing return of Fernando Tatis Jr., this puts the San Diego Padres in a prime position to win the World Series.
Moreover, chemistry issues certainly won’t be a problem for this team because Tatis and Soto have been friends since they were kids in the Dominican Republic.
When Tatis Jr. was asked about the potential of this new look team he responded by saying, “We definitely have the talent, and we have the team to do it. Now it’s up to us to put the work out there and make it happen.”
Juan Soto is an elite, generational player who specializes in hitting the ball. His career batting average of .291 is all you need to see how elite he truly is.
In a short career span, he has been able to accomplish a lot: winning a World Series, being an MVP candidate, and winning a batting title. Furthermore, he leads the league in walks, demonstrating how afraid opposing teams are of him.
Along with the acquisition of Juan Soto, the Padres were also able to trade for Josh Bell, Brandon Drury, and Josh Hader. All of these players are in the midst of their career seasons.
This boatload of talent on a singular team will allow the Padres to compete with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, whom many thoughts were unbeatable at the beginning of the season.
The odds for the Padres winning the World Series changed from +2000 to +800, signifying how this team has suddenly entered the forefront in terms of potential championship contenders.
Here are my thoughts on this insane trade of Juan Soto to the Padres. Let me know what you think of this trade in the comments.
