The San Diego Padres are one of the most interesting teams in the MLB as the 2023 trade deadline approaches. They’d instantly take the top spot amongst intriguing teams if they put Juan Soto on the market.
The Padres have maintained their stance that they would prefer to be buyers at the deadline. However, recent reports have pointed to Padres’ star pitchers Blake Snell and Josh Hader as likely trade candidates as the team struggles to keep up in the NL playoff race.
Now, it appears that San Diego is also “listening” to offers for Soto, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman. The Yankees are reportedly one potential landing spot for Soto. However, Heyman states that it’s more likely for Cody Bellinger or Randall Grichuk to end up in pinstripes than Soto.
The Padres are 6.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot despite owning the fifth-best run differential in the majors at +51 entering Thursday. San Diego has a three-game series against the powerhouse Texas Rangers before the August 1 deadline. How the Padres perform against one of the strongest teams this season could impact how they operate in the coming days.
Heyman asserts that while the Padres could conceivably move Soto if they don’t see a path toward an extension, a trade in the winter or next season appears more feasible. Soto is eligible for arbitration in 2024 and would not become a free agent until 2025.
Soto is batting .262 this season with a superb on-base percentage of .417 which ranks second-best in the majors. Soto has hit 20 home runs and drawn an MLB-leading 95 walks through 103 games this season.
