Scott Boras had his fingerprints all over Juan Soto trade

Mar 2, 2019; Clearwater, FL, USA; Bryce Harper agent Scott Boras speaks as they formally introduce right fielder Bryce Harper (3) as a Philadelphia Phillie at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Juan Soto was traded by the Washington Nationals to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, and agent Scott Boras had his fingerprints all over the deal.

The first version of the trade (which later got changed) involved a total of eight players. Incredibly, Boras represented five of the eight players. Those players included Soto and Josh Bell, who went to the Padres; and Eric Hosmer, MacKenzie Gore and James Wood, who went to the Nationals.

Yes, five of the eight players were Boras guys.

Hosmer later vetoed his involvement in the trade and was sent to Boston. Luke Voit, who is not a Boras client, replaced him in the deal.

Boras played a big role in Soto’s trade. His advice likely led Soto to turn down the big $440 million contract offer the 23-year-old turned down from Washington, which led the team to trade him.

The amount of Boras clients who were involved in the trade is likely just a coincidence and not some manipulation by him. If he had involvement in the construction of the deal, Hosmer likely would not have been included in the original iteration of the deal. But it’s still wild to see just how many of his clients were part of the deal.