The Juan Soto market continues to change narratives each moment, but the most recent and compelling one comes from an ESPN insider.
While there had been speculation of a possible extension for the three-time All-Star, it’s leaning more toward Soto being dealt to another team.
“Absolutely, 100% he’s going to be traded before the season,” ESPN’s Buster Olney said on The Michael Kay Show Friday.
It’s clear the San Diego Padres will be listening to deals on Soto, but that’s the case with a lot of players, especially star ones.
It’s also a team that is said to be dialing back their spending in the upcoming 2024 season, and they’re going to be doing it without their former succeeding manager Bob Melvin who went to the NL West rival San Francisco Giants this offseason to take over those managerial responsibilities.
The Padres suffered greatly after being one of the top three teams (including the New York Mets and Yankees) after being the teams with the top three payrolls and being just the second time squads of this monetary value have missed the playoffs. (Since the wild-card era began in 1995)
There also was reportedly internal/clubhous issues with the team that caused the team to finish third in the division while managing a $258 million payroll.
Additionally, there’s a conflicting report from The Athletic’s Jim Bowden that says Soto won’t be dealt until around the 2024 trade deadline as that will have a better overview of where the team is heading toward playoff contention.
We shall see …
The 25-year-old finished his 2024 campaign slashing .275/.410/.519, earning an All-Star selection and a Silver Slugger Award.
Soto, according to MLB Trade Rumors, is projected to make $33 million in arbitration next season.
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.