There's no guarantee the San Diego Padres trade Juan Soto, as he still has another year left on his contract and AJ Preller has had no issue handing out big money to free agents in the past. Could a new, $500 million extension for Soto loom as well?
Unfortunately, that seems unlikely. The Padres took out a large bank loan this offseason, some of which was spent on player payroll. Beloved owner Peter Seidler also passed away, and it's unclear if that means a change in direction is coming.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic made it sound like a trade was more of a formality than a rumor this winter. "The question is not whether Soto will be traded. The question is which team will acquire him," Rosenthal wrote.
FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray graded the likelihood of a Soto trade at 70 percent, which is far higher than he suggested just a few days ago on The Baseball Insiders podcast.
"I want to make one thing clear: The Padres are not shopping Juan Soto. They don't have to trade him. But considering the amount of interest league-wide in Soto, and what the Padres can do with the money saved by trading Soto, I expect him to be traded this winter," Murray wrote.
MLB Rumors: Which teams are favored to trade for Juan Soto?
The New York Yankees are a team to watch for Soto. There's a gaping hole in the Yanks lineup, especially at the corner outfield spot. Soto would slide right in and the Yankees have enough money to sign him to a long-term extension if they choose. However, it would force New York to part ways with some of their top prospects, something Brian Cashman has been unwilling to do in the past.
The New York Mets and San Francisco Giants are also reportedly in on Soto, the latter of which is a big surprise. Steve Cohen can afford to go as far over the luxury tax as necessary to extend Soto. All is well in Queens, and new Mets GM David Stearns can and should try to acquire Soto with his resources.
As for the Giants, trading with a division rival is tricky. Sending prospects to San Diego for just one guaranteed year of Soto is enough to make any Giants fan panic. However, San Francisco has been searching for their next star for awhile now. It wasn't Aaron Judge. It wasn't Carlos Correa. Perhaps Soto is the guy they're looking for.