Trade winds swirl around Juan Soto, as it’s still unclear whether the Nationals will deal the superstar outfielder before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. CT trade deadline. The market fluctuates on an hourly basis based on other contracts, and baseball and Soto (MLBTR’s Best trade candidate deadline season) is above all else. Of course, some clubs want to explore all possibilities of signing Soto, but if Soto goes elsewhere, waiting too long could leave the team empty-handed for other trade options.
The Padres are widely seen as one of the top contenders to land Soto, and are willing to surrender the type of massive prospect package it would take to get Washington’s attention. According to MLB Network’s John Morosipads”Ready to discussNames like CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell III, and Adrian Morjon with the Nationals. While Morejon has “graduated” from most prospect lists because of his MLB experience, and MLB Pipeline has dropped Abrams from their list because of his 43 major league hits, all three have been staples of top-100 prospect lists over the past few years. Games played earlier this season.
As the Nationals have been known to target younger, controllable players who are already in the majors or on the cusp of big league debuts, the Padres trio seems to check those boxes. The Nats would love more from the upper echelons of San Diego’s farm system (or the active roster) to part ways with Soto, and the Padres should increase their offer. Surpass other lawyers.
For example, the Cardinals have a stockpile of young talent and have been mentioned as one of the favorites to land Soto. Dylan Carlson is a name on Washington’s radar Derrick Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Nats writes that he “likes” the outfielder.
Karlsson is 23 years old and has already made a mark on the show, providing above-average production at the plate and strong defense (as a center fielder and right fielder). The Nationals could look to Carlson as their next outfield cornerstone, as the team will already be confident he can contribute right away, whereas players like Abrams, Hassell or Morejon are yet to be proven at the MLB level.
On paper, the Cardinals would have the depth to move Carlson as part of the Soto deal, but that would leave the Cards without a reliable center fielder. Harrison Bader remains on the 10-day injured list with plantar fasciitis, and a setback could extend his outing for at least another few weeks, manager Oliver Marmol told Gold and other reporters. Bader won’t be out of a defensive right starting role for another week or two, so even if Karlsson fills the middle capably, St. Louis should look to land a center fielder in another deal if Karlsson is replaced. The temporary combo of Lars Knootbar and Tommy Edman, for example, may not be the best choice for a contender.
As mentioned, other trades could drastically change the situation for many teams, and it appears that two potential Soto suitors are no longer involved. The Rays would have been an eyebrow-raising team to land Soto, but the Nationals’ demands “Beyond their endurance,” Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes So, the Rays avoided the blockbuster route and instead Landed David Peralta from the Diamondbacks earlier today. yesterday’s Acquisition Luis Castillo’s Luis Castillo will also put the Mariners out of the running for Soto, as Seattle spent a significant portion of its future capital to acquire Castillo from the Reds.
