TORONTO, ONTARIO — For months, it had been speculated that the San Diego Padres might trade Juan Soto. Those rumors gained traction over the last week, culminating on Wednesday with the outfielder’s trade to the New York Yankees.
Soto is a generational hitter who dramatically transforms the Bronx Bombers. This is the largest move of the MLB offseason so far, and it should serve as a massive domino effect for subsequent trades across the league.
Here’s a closer look at the agreement and what it entails.
Juan Soto Traded From Padres To Yankees In 7-Player Deal
The transaction involves the San Diego Padres sending outfielders Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees in exchange for right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez, and Drew Thorpe, as well as catcher Kyle Higashioka.
The Yankees have emerged as the overwhelming favorite to sign Soto over the last few days. Other teams did not appear to be running late in the process, although numerous teams, notably the Toronto Blue Jays, have been mentioned in trade talks for the slugger.
The participant: We could write a book about Soto’s accomplishments and awards. He’s a batting champion, a World Series champion, a three-time all-star, and a four-time Silver Slugger. Simply put, he’s one of the finest hitters in the game, and at 25 years old, he may be approaching his prime.
Juan’s wRC-plus of 154 trails only three hitters since breaking into the majors in 2018: Yordan Alvarez (166), Aaron Judge (166) – his new teammate — and Mike Trout (172).
Juan had an outstanding 2023 season, hitting.275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs and an MLB-high 132 walks. His percentile rankings, typically among the best in the league last season, are equally astounding. All of this is crucial because, by his standards, Soto had a bad year in 2022 when he was moved from Washington to San Diego.
Juan Soto Traded From Padres To Yankees In 7-Player Deal
The imminent free agency of Soto will be one of the biggest stories surrounding him in 2024. Soto, represented by super-agent Scott Boras, will join the market as one of the best free-agent hitters ever unless he is signed to an extension by the Yankees. His performance will be closely watched since it could strengthen his case for being a monster.
The fit: The Yankees have wished for a left-handed batter of Soto’s caliber for many years. The club should have pursued Bryce Harper during his free agency following the 2018 season, and the purchase of Soto might be viewed as a chance for general manager Brian Cashman to start over.
Juan’s swing and batting profile are ideal for Yankee Stadium and its short right-field porch. Juan should easily outperform his career-high 35 home runs from last season. He’ll be teamed in the outfield and batting order with Judge to form arguably baseball’s deadliest offensive combo.
Juan Soto Traded From Padres To Yankees In 7-Player Deal
The Yankees urgently needed a move like this after a poor offensive season in which they finished 24th in OPS (.701) and 29th in batting average (.227). The squad has long used a lineup prone to strikeouts and was overly right-handed. The additions of Soto and fellow outfielder Alex Verdugo should help to alleviate such concerns.
The next domino to fall: Shohei Ohtani, the biggest of them all, though it’s safe to presume that the Soto trade has no influence there. Cody Bellinger’s market for outfielders should improve. In addition, the Yankees have recently been linked to Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and might continue their offseason retooling by landing the right-hander.
SOURCE – (ESPN)
