juan soto – harchi90

AJ Preller, Mike Rizzo Discuss Juan Soto Trade

islamlacoste58 — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 03:41:42 +0000

We’re a week removed from one of the biggest blockbusters in MLB history, the deal that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell from the Nationals to the Padres for five young players and first baseman Luke Voit. Jeff Passan of ESPN takes a long look into the process that eventually led to the deal in a piece that’s well worth a read in full.

A Soto trade seemed unfathomable around a month before the deadline, with Washington general manager Mike Rizzo flatly stating the club wouldn’t deal him. That was before Soto passed on a 15-year, $440MM extension offer that apparently represented the Nationals final offer. At that point, Rizzo and his staff reversed course and turned their attention to the trade market. Passan writes the Nationals identified the Padres, Dodgers, Yankees, Cardinals, Mariners, Rays, Rangers and Blue Jays as a preliminary list of teams with the kind of young talent to pull off a deal.

According to Passan, the Nats had whittled that down to a trio of the Cardinals, Dodgers and Padres by the final week of July. With St. Louis reportedly reluctant to include Dylan Carlson in a package that also included a number of top prospects, Los Angeles and San Diego became the final two. Passan relays that San Diego and Washington higher-ups really gathered momentum late into the evening of August 1, the night before the trade deadline. A late entrant to discussions was the inclusion of Bell, one of the top rental bats available, to convince the Friars to part with high-upside 18-year-old pitcher Jarlin Susana. By the middle of the night on August 1-2, Passan reports, the parties agreed to the package of young talent that’d go back to Washington pending review of medical records the next morning. (Passan adds the humorous anecdote that San Diego president of baseball operations AJ Preller then continued working deep into the night on additional trade possibilities before falling asleep in the middle of a conversation with a member of his scouting staff).

While the initial iteration of the deal included Eric Hosmer going to Washington, the first baseman exercised his limited no-trade protection to block the deal. San Diego pivoted and traded Hosmer to the Red Sox, and Passan writes that San Diego and Washington had each previously agreed that one of Voit or Wil Myers could take Hosmer’s place in the event he refused to waive his no-trade clause.

“We did as well as we could do,” Rizzo opined to Passan. “You lost a Hall of Famer at 23, but I think we expedited our reboot. When you’re looking at the alternative, the same narrative would’ve been out there this winter. If you don’t trade him now, what are you doing in the offseason? I give the Padres’ ownership credit. And I give AJ credit because he’s not afraid to make a trade like this. And I give our ownership credit.”

Preller went into detail about his team’s involvement in the Soto discussions during an appearance this afternoon on The Show, a podcast from the New York Post with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman. The San Diego baseball operations leader confirmed the Nationals identified his system as one of a handful that could support a blockbuster of this magnitude early in the process.

“We could tell we were going to be one of the final teams if we wanted to participate,” Preller told the Post. “You never know if you’re going to be the team. It’s like anything else, there’s going to be two or three teams that all have really strong packages. … There was just a lot of debate and discussion for us over the next few weeks about the right thing to do, the right players to give up.”

Once the sides were nearing agreement on the prospect return, the Onus fell on San Diego to push the deal across the finish line, Preller explains. “At the end, you have to decide. Do you want to do this or not? That’s kind of the gut-check at the end, when the Nats put it on you: ‘this five or six-player package gets it done.’ That’s when you come back into the room with your small group of people and (owner) Peter Seidler. It’s on the table if we want to do this. And if we don’t do it, ultimately we have to live with the fact that he may go elsewhere. … At the end of the day, you have to make that decision.”

Obviously, Preller and his group decided to pull the trigger, although he indicated the club wasn’t narrowly focused on a Soto deal. Preller confirmed to the Post that San Diego was involved in discussions with the Angels about Shohei Ohtani. He said there was some but not entire overlap in the young players of interest to both Washington and Anaheim but indicated the Angels were ultimately unwilling to part with Ohtani. Heyman reported last week that Angels owner Arte Moreno wouldn’t sign off on an Ohtani trade while Mike Trout is on the injured list.

Padres fans and/or anyone interested in additional details about San Diego’s trade talks will want to check out Preller’s interview with Heyman and Sherman in full. Preller also discussed the necessity of balancing a roster with star talent and depth, the acquisition of All-Star reliever Josh Hader from the Brewers, plans for rehabbing star Fernando Tatis Jr.and his team’s struggles against the Dodgers among other topics.

The post AJ Preller, Mike Rizzo Discuss Juan Soto Trade first appeared on harchi90.

How Juan Soto became a San Diego Padre — inside the biggest deal in baseball history

islamlacoste58 — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 15:01:39 +0000

7:00 AM ET

Jeff PassanESPN
Close

BLEARY-EYED AND SLEEP-DEPRIVED, their five-o’clock shadows looking more like 10, AJ Preller and Mike Rizzo lurched into their offices on opposite coasts early Tuesday morning ready to do the unthinkable. Pulling off the biggest trade in the century-and-a-half-long history of Major League Baseball had taken the two general managers to the brink of exhaustion — and done the same to Juan Soto, the superstar outfielder who in a few hours would be dealt by Rizzo’s Washington Nationals to Preller’s San Diego Padres. For a deal so complicated, so consequential, so tectonic, though, an unfamiliar feeling that morning overwhelmed the principals of such a massive endeavor: peace.

For months, soothsayers around the game acknowledged the possibility that Soto, a 23-year-old whose hitting prowess draws fair comparisons to the greatest ever, could be traded. This weighed on the minds of all involved: Rizzo, whose résumé potentially could include the ignominy of trading a future Hall of Famer; Preller, who for nearly a decade had coveted Soto but understood acquiring him would come at the cost of a farm system he had had carefully cultivated; and Soto, who so envisioned himself a career National that he had bought his first home in the area earlier this year.

Trades are inherently uncomfortable things, bets on an unknowable future, and the one they’d agreed upon in the wee hours of the night was the mother of all deals, a six-for-two swap that would send Soto and first baseman Josh Bell to the Padres for the richest bounty of prospect talent ever assembled in one transaction. It was paradoxical, a move that simultaneously made all the sense in the world and felt positively senseless.

Some deals come together quickly and painlessly. This was not one of them. As happy and fulfilled as everyone involved wound up, getting there took work. Making the biggest trade in baseball history was a process: getting the right players to satisfy both parties and avoiding the fate that befell a trade between the teams a year earlier.

Not this time. After weeks of discussion, countless hours of working on different variations of a deal, they found comfort in their discomfort, tranquility in the chaos and a trade for the ages.

The post How Juan Soto became a San Diego Padre — inside the biggest deal in baseball history first appeared on harchi90.

Juan Soto’s debut couldn’t have gone better for Padres

islamlacoste58 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 09:36:14 +0000

SAN DIEGO — The sellout crowd came to cheer Juan Soto in his first game with the San Diego Padres. It went bonkers when Brandon Drury hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw with his new team.

Feeding off the energy of Soto and the crowd, the new-look Padres routed the Colorado Rockies 9-1 on an electric Wednesday night at Petco Park.

The crowd of 44,652 was animated even before the game started, and gave Soto a standing ovation as her ran out to his position in right field in the first inning, and then again when he came to the plate in the bottom of the inning. He drew a walk to start a five-run rally that was capped with Drury’s grand slam.

“It feels very cool. It brings a lot of emotions for me,” said Soto, the 23-year-old generational talent whose acquisition along with Josh Bell in a blockbuster trade with Washington gave a jolt to both the team and the city. “It feels amazing how they cheered for me. They gave us the energy to go out there and play hard.”

Before the game, Soto, one of the game’s best young hitters, said he was happy Bell was included in the trade. The two were flown to San Diego on a private jet Tuesday night.

“For me, I never realized I was going to be traded together. I was thinking probably by myself,” Soto said. “When I realized I was coming with Josh, we have a great relationship and I was more excited and more pumped because he’s coming and I know what kind of guy he is and what he brings to the table. I’m more than excited to share another clubhouse with him.”

Manny Machado, who has carried the Padres most of the season, homered leading off the fifth and finished a triple short of the cycle in San Diego’s fifth straight win. Jake Cronenworth had a two-run shot. The big beneficiary was left-hander Blake Snell (4-5), who struck out nine in six innings and won his third straight start.

The Padres unveiled their new-look lineup with Soto batting second and Bell hitting cleanup a day after they were obtained Tuesday in one of the biggest deadline deals ever. Drury was also obtained on Tuesday, from Cincinnati, and put a charge into the already festive atmosphere with a grand slam off Chad Kuhl with one out in the first

Soto walked, Machado doubled and Bell walked to load the bases before Cronenworth was hit by a pitch to bring in Soto. Drury then drove the first pitch he saw from Kuhl into the seats in left-center and the fans went nuts. It was his second career grand slam and 21st homer this season.

Juan Soto lashes a single during the Padres’ 9-1 win over the Rockies.

USA TODAY Sports

“I was just running on adrenaline,” Drury said. “The fans were incredible tonight. First at-bat, bases loaded, I was just running on pure adrenaline. Really excited to be here. It was pretty special for me.”

Drury said he went out to stretch 25 minutes before the game “and the fans were just going nuts. I was out there warming up and I was just like pumped up, ready to go. It was definitely an amazing day.”

During the pre-game hitters’ meeting, Melvin told the players, “It’s going to be like this. It really has been all been all year. When you bring in guys like this, it takes it to a different level. We just wanted to let them know that this is going to be pretty cool.

Juan Soto shares a laugh with new teammate Nomar Mazara during the Padres’ win.

Getty Images

“Before we even took the field it was,” Melvin said “It seemed like the place was packed even before the game started. It was rare.”

Soto singled, walked twice, scored once and grounded out twice. Bell had two walks and scored twice.

Melvin said Soto “seems to bring some energy. You see him backing up first base on ground balls; there’s just a lot he brings to the table. Obviously on base, what he does swinging the bat. The fans seemed to embrace very quickly. He’s just one of those guys who has a lot of energy around him and I think everybody felt that today.”

Soto is under contract for two seasons beyond this year and said he’s not thinking about anything after that.

“I’m just thinking about winning,” he said before the game. “I’m just coming to this clubhouse to bring the energy that I have, all the good vibes that I have to bring here, to win.”

As for Snell, he had a third straight strong start. He held the Rockies to one run and four hits in six innings, with no walks. His four wins this season have come in his last five starts. After receiving just 15 runs of support in his first 11 starts, he has received 19 runs of support in his last two starts.

Kuhl (6-7) allowed nine runs and eight hits in five innings, struck out four and walked three.

The post Juan Soto’s debut couldn’t have gone better for Padres first appeared on harchi90.

Brandon Drury hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw as a San Diego Padre

islamlacoste58 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 07:34:47 +0000

Welcome to San Diego, Brandon Drury.

The San Diego Padres made a humongous deal at Tuesday’s trade deadline, acquiring young slugger Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals for a haul of prospects. Slightly lost in the shuffle was their acquisition of third baseman/utility man Drury from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for shortstop prospect Victor Acosta.

Drury, a career .253/.303/.434 hitter in the middle of the best season of his career in which he’s hitting for an .855 OPS with 20 home runs, wasted no time at all making a good first impression. In the first inning of Wednesday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies, on the very first pitch he saw as a Padre, Drury launched a grand slam off Chad Kuhl to give the team a 5-0 lead.

What an incredible moment.

The Padres are currently 11½ games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the addition of Soto — and Drury — make them a force to be reckoned with in the National League wild-card race. They’re three games up for the second spot in the NL, and could potentially be dangerous in the playoffs.

BRANDON DRURY HITS A GRAND SLAM ON THE FIRST PITCH HE SEES A PADRE

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/AdGEz42fQj

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 4, 2022

The post Brandon Drury hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw as a San Diego Padre first appeared on harchi90.

Juan Soto ‘pumped’ to join stacked San Diego Padres lineup, wishes opposing pitchers ‘good luck’

islamlacoste58 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 02:26:48 +0000

SAN DIEGO — Juan Soto arrived at Petco Park promising to bring “good vibes” to the San Diego Padres and issuing a warning to opposing teams.

The acquisition of the 23-year-old generational talent in perhaps the biggest deadline deal ever energized the Padres and their long-suffering fans, and there’s more to come.

Soto and Josh Bell on Wednesday joined a lineup currently anchored by All-Star slugger Manny Machado. Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to return from a broken left wrist within a few weeks.

When that lineup hits the field, “It’s going to be really exciting. It’s going to be really tough to go through and I wish good luck to other pitchers,” Soto said with a laugh at an introductory news conference.

Soto was batting second and playing right field against Colorado on Wednesday night, a day after being obtained from Washington in a massive trade. Machado was batting third and switch-hitting first baseman Bell, acquired along with Soto, was batting cleanup.

Soto received a large ovation from fans at Petco when her ran out to right field in the top of the first inning.

.@Padres fans welcome Juan Soto to San Diego. pic.twitter.com/ryOA3dZdSt

— MLB (@MLB) August 4, 2022

The price for Soto and Bell was significant: rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore, first baseman/DH Luke Voit and prospects James Wood, CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana.

Washington general Mike Rizzo set a lofty asking price last month after reports that Soto rejected the team’s latest contract offer of $440 million over 15 years.

The uncertainty over his future began weighing on Soto, who said after Sunday’s game against St. Louis: “I just want to get it over with and see what’s going to happen. Start over here or wherever I’m at.”

That place is San Diego, where the Padres entered Wednesday holding the NL’s second wild-card spot while trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 11 1/2 games in the NL West.

Soto, one of the game’s best young hitters, said he was happy Bell was included in the trade. The two were flown to San Diego on a private jet Tuesday night.

Soto contributed to the Nationals’ first World Series title in 2019 and then hit .351 in 2020 to win the NL batting title. He’s in his second straight All-Star season, and now he and Bell have joined a team whose playoff chances vaulted big-time.

Soto said all the conversations with Padres general manager AJ Preller and his new teammates have been, ”Let’s win, let’s bring the good energy to the clubhouse and the stadium, just come here and try to win. Try to bring my experience from 2019 as a World Series champ to here in San Diego.

“That’s what I’m going to do, that’s what I have in my mind since I saw the trade yesterday. That’s what we’re going to try to do, try to make it all the way to the last team standing.”

Soto thinks he’s joining a World Series contender.

“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “This team has everything that it needs to win a World Series.”

San Diego last played in the World Series in 1998, when it was swept by the New York Yankees.

Soto is under contract for two seasons beyond this year and said he’s not thinking about anything after that.

“I’m just thinking about winning,” he said. “I’m just coming to this clubhouse to bring the energy that I have, all the good vibes that I have to bring here, to win.”

Soto and Bell are coming from the team with baseball’s worst record to one that has vaulted its postseason chances.

“It feels really nice,” Soto said. “It feels really pumped to be here. Just go from a team that has no chance to come all the way here, it’s a great feeling, a new vibe, it’s a new start for me. It’s a new start, a new feeling to go out there and give more than I have.”

Said Bell: “Obviously we pour our hearts and souls into this game no matter where we are. … But it’s a little bit extra fuel in the fire to be here and to be in the hunt and to have a reason to show up a little bit earlier every day to get the work done that we need to get done. I’m definitely pumped to have a new opportunity here.”

Soto and Tatis, who’s also 23, have known each other since playing together in the Dominican Prospect League.

“That’s my boy, my hometown boy,” Tatis said on Tuesday. “I mean, we played together since we were 15, 16. And now we’re on the same team. It’s crazy.”

The post Juan Soto ‘pumped’ to join stacked San Diego Padres lineup, wishes opposing pitchers ‘good luck’ first appeared on harchi90.

Juan Soto traded to Padres; Nationals get big prospect haul

islamlacoste58 — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 13:03:44 +0000

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres left no doubt about their desired destination when they added superstar Juan Soto to a lineup anchored by All-Star Manny Machado and about to welcome back flashy Fernando Tatis Jr.

Deep into October. Maybe even November.

General manager AJ Preller, already known for an innate ability to pull off trades, navigated his way through perhaps one of baseball’s biggest deals ever at the trade deadline when he acquired Soto, the superstar outfielder from the Washington Nationals who is one of the game’s best young hitters, and switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell.

The haul going back to Washington was significant: rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore, first baseman/DH Luke Voit and prospects James Wood, CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana.

The Padres feel it was more than worth it.

“We feel like we’re going to put up a show and it’s going to be really fun to watch,” said Tatis, the star shortstop who is close to returning from a fractured left wrist. “It’s really hype to be over here.”

Could that hype extend to a World Series run?

“Ooooh,” said Tatis, who has known Soto since they were teenagers in the Dominican Republic. “We have the talent. We definitely have the talent, and we have the team to do it. Now it’s up to us to put the work out there and make it happen.”

That’s why Preller, owner Peter Seidler and team president Erik Greupner were willing to part with prospects and push their team into a higher luxury tax threshold to get the generational superstar.

Soto remains under team control for two more seasons after this one, which made it no sure thing the Nationals would trade him now. The Padres getting him for potentially three playoff runs even absent a new deal made this the peak of Soto’s value.

“Ultimately, we’re looking at it as three years, three pennant races with one of the best hitters, maybe the best hitter in the game,” Preller said. “That’s a long time. … We’ll have time to figure out down the road the long-term commitment. Peter, Eric, have wanted to do that with elite players, elite people, he’s one of those.

“You’re talking about a 23-year-old player who won a World Series, won a batting title, is a perennial MVP candidate, at that age. I think we were on the same page what it meant for our franchise.”

Machado called Soto and Bell “impact players who are going to come in here and help out this team tremendously. Top of the game right now.”

Asked what made Soto special, Machado paused and said, “I don’t even know how to answer that question. I mean, he’s Juan Soto. He does what he does every single day, every single year and he showed it in the postseason, showed it in All-Star Games, the Home Run Derby. Just the way he posted up every single day.”

The Padres entered the day 12 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and two games ahead of Philadelphia for the second of three wild-card spots.

Their only playoff appearance since Preller took over in 2014 was a wild-card series win after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. They were then swept in the division series by the Dodgers, who went on to win the World Series.

“We feel like it’s going to be a dogfight. It’s going to be a heck of a pennant race,” Preller said. “We feel we’re a better team, a stronger team. We’re a stronger team, but we know it’s going to be a lot of competition. It’s getting to October, getting to the dance, and see what happens.”

Preller said the teams went through so many versions of the deal that “when we got to the finish line at the end, there was some celebrations, some cheers, some high-fives, maybe some disappointment seeing some of the prospects going out the door ”

Washington general Mike Rizzo set a lofty asking price last month after reports that Soto rejected the team’s latest contract offer of $440 million over 15 years.

“We set the bar very, very high, and one team exceeded it and that’s the deal we made,” Rizzo said. “Props to the San Diego Padres. They’re not afraid, and ownership’s not afraid and AJ Preller’s not afraid, and they were aggressive and we made a deal that you call historical.”

That’ll be in San Diego. Soto and Bell will be introduced at an afternoon news conference and are expected to be in the lineup that night against the Colorado Rockies.

With little protection around him in Washington’s lineup, Soto hit .246 with 20 home runs and 45 RBIs and 91 walks in 101 games.

In 2,435 plate appearances since making his Nationals debut in 2018, Soto is batting .291 with 118 home runs and 357 RBIs. He’s only a couple of years removed from slugging .695 with a 1,185 OPS and .490 on-base percentage — all NL bests.

After contributing to the Nationals’ first championship in franchise history in 2019, Soto hit .351 in 2020 to win the NL batting title. He has been walked more than any other player in major league baseball over the past two seasons. A two-time All-Star, Soto was second in NL MVP voting in 2021.

The massive deal came a day after Preller swung a blockbuster trade to get All-Star closer Josh Hader from Milwaukee and finalized a $100 million, five-year contract for All-Star right-hander Joe Musgrove.

“The atmosphere here is they want to win, and not just go to the playoffs but win a World Series,” Hader said. “That’s a contagious atmosphere to be a part of.”

Voit was a late addition to the deal after San Diego first baseman Eric Hosmer declined to waive a no-trade provision. Hosmer was then traded to Boston for left-hander Jay Groome.

After reeling in Soto, Preller also acquired infielder Brandon Drury from Cincinnati. The Padres sent minor league shortstop Victor Acosta to the Reds for the 29-year-old Drury, who has a career-high 20 homers this year.

San Diego began the season with a luxury tax payroll of $229.3 million, just below the first threshold, and the trades push the Padres into tax territory for the second straight season. Soto is owed $5,978,022 for the rest of this season and Bell $3,516,844.

The package of prospects going to Washington is one of the most touted groups ever involved in one deal. Gore and Abrams debuted in San Diego this season after ranking among the sport’s elite minor leaguers, Hassell and Wood are both top 100 prospects according to MLB.com, and Susana was considered the best pitcher available in the 2021-22 international free agent class.

Soto becomes the latest Nationals player to be traded as part of the organization’s long-term rebuild and with ownership looking to sell the team. Rizzo traded shortstop Trea Turner, ace Max Scherzer, power hitter Kyle Schwarber and five others at the deadline last year, and Washington has let Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and others move on in free agency.

The quintet of young players coming from San Diego could join the ones acquired last year — including pitcher Josiah Gray and catcher Keibert Ruiz — as the core of Washington’s next contender.

“We were fortunate that it was a well-rounded trade,” Rizzo said. “We’ve got two pitchers, two outfielders and a shortstop, which fit our needs perfectly.”

___

Whyno reported from Washington.

___

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum also contributed to this report.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The post Juan Soto traded to Padres; Nationals get big prospect haul first appeared on harchi90.

Washington Nationals pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season against New York Mets

islamlacoste58 — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 11:13:42 +0000

The Washington Nationals pulled off one of the largest upsets of the season, according to the betting market, knocking off the heavily favored New York Mets 5-1 on Tuesday in Jacob deGrom’s return to the mound.

The Nationals closed as around 3-1 underdogs against the visiting Mets in what was the most heavily bet game at multiple sportsbooks on Tuesday. It’s the second-largest upset this season, behind only the Kansas City Royals’ win over the Toronto Blue Jays on July 14. The Royals were +328 underdogs in that contest.

On Thursday, the Mets closed as -385 favorites over the Nationals at Caesars Sportsbook, a price that grew after Washington traded star slugger Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres earlier in the day. The Mets were the largest road favorites since Sept. 29, 2019, when the Houston Astros were -400 favorites in their eventual away win against the Los Angeles Angels. The Mets weren’t as lucky on Tuesday, and neither were bettors, who had to risk $385 in an attempt to win $100 on New York.

The high price didn’t scare bettors from backing the Mets. At PointsBet, more bets were placed on the Mets on the money line than any other team on Tuesday’s card. At DraftKings, more money was bet on Mets-Nationals than any other game; 94% of the money wagered backed the Mets.

Not all the bets were on the Mets, though. A bettor with Caesars Sportsbook put $47,000 on the Nationals +1.5 runs at +150 odds and won $70,500.

The upset spoiled deGrom’s first start since July 7, 2021. DeGrom, who has dealt with various injuries, allowed one earned run on three hits in five innings. Yadiel Hernandez, Joey Meneses and Luis Garcia each homered for Washington in the win.

MLB favorites of -300 or greater are 20-10 on the season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The post Washington Nationals pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season against New York Mets first appeared on harchi90.

Juan Soto Trade Rumors: Deadline Day

islamlacoste58 — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 13:02:41 +0000

7:41am: There is a “growing sense” that the Padres are the likeliest landing spot for not only Soto but also Josh Bell, tweets Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post. There’s some momentum in those talks, he adds. Similarly, the Post’s Jesse Dougherty tweets that the Nationals are beginning to narrow the field.

San Diego, of course, already has Eric Hosmer installed at first base, but they’ve been trying for more than a year to unload the remainder of that contract. Speculatively speaking, if the Nats truly want to maximize the return on Soto (and perhaps Bell), they could be the ones to absorb the remaining three years and $39MM on Hosmer’s contract themselves. The trio of Hosmer, Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg would be a lot of underwater contracts for one team, of course, but the Nats have little else on the payroll in the immediate future.

7:12am: Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is now under 12 hours away, and the Juan Soto trade possibility that has captivated the entire sport and its fanbase remains unresolved. As of yesterday, the Soto auction was generally believed to be a three-team bidding war, with the Padres, Cardinals and Dodgers all reported to be heavily involved. that doesn’t preclude another team (or teams) from jumping in to make a late push, of course; it’d frankly rate as something of a surprise if that didn’t happen, in fact. Teams will miss out on other targets, priorities will pivot, and stances on “off limits” prospects will soften.

Up until this point, a sticking point for the Cardinals has been their unwillingness to include young outfielder Dylan Carlson and their very best prospects, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. The 23-year-old Carlson is known be of interest to the Nats as an immediate outfield plug-in, and as a former first-round pick and top-10 overall prospect (per Baseball America), that’s not surprising — even if he’s been more of a solid regular than a star to this point in his young career. The switch-hitting Carlson is batting .260/.334/.426 dating back to last season, and he’s cut down his strikeout rate considerably this season.

Carlson can be controlled another four years beyond the current season and is capable of handling all three outfield spots. There’s perhaps a sense that given his youth and pedigree, he has another gear that he’s not yet tapped into. Further clouding the Cardinals possibility, Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests that Washington may not be as high on lefty Matthew Liberatore as others in the industry; The Athletic’s Jim Bowden wrote something similar a couple weeks back.

Turning to the Padres, the health of one of their own top young arms, southpaw MacKenzie Gore, is a potential complication. Gore has been shut down with an elbow strain. He’s expected to avoid surgery, but the specter of an arm injury for a potential key pitcher in the deal has surely altered the Nats’ valuation. The Padres, meanwhile, are now over the luxury-tax threshold after their stunning addition of Josh Hader yesterday. They’ve reportedly been loath to cross that line for a second consecutive season. However, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale suggests that if it means acquiring both Hader and Soto, the Padres “won’t mind blowing completely past” the tax line.

Over in Los Angeles, the Dodgers have become increasingly optimistic about their chances over the past couple days, per Jack Harris of the LA Times. The Dodgers’ perennially deep farm system is rife with top prospects — they have seven of Baseball America’s top 100 farmhands at the moment — and they also possess controllable young big leaguers of potential interest. Both Harris and Heyman suggest infielder Gavin Lux (four more years of team control) and righty Dustin May (nearing return from Tommy John surgery, with three more years of control) as potential targets for Washington.

As of yesterday morning, the Yankees were reported to be a “long shot,” the Rangers weren’t said to be particularly aggressive, and Mariners president Jerry Dipoto had gone on record to suggest his team is unlikely to land Soto. Adding to that list of teams that inquired but seems unlikely to be a serious player, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Guardians looked into Soto but talks never gained traction. Washington was interested in top Cleveland pitching prospect Daniel Espinobut health was again a factor in talks, as he’s been out since April due to a knee injury.

The post Juan Soto Trade Rumors: Deadline Day first appeared on harchi90.

Dodgers Aggressive On Juan Soto; Yankees A “Long Shot”

islamlacoste58 — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 15:44:44 +0000

Juan Soto‘s presence on the trade market has, in many ways, held up activity in other areas. Teams like the Cardinals and Padres, generally viewed as two of Soto’s top suitors, are also involved in the market for starting pitching. But, both are surely wary of dealing prospects to acquire a starter (eg Oakland’s Frankie Montas) if those same players might eventually be used to pry Soto loose from Washington.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan takes a lengthy look at the logjam Soto has created, writing within that the Yankees are a “long shot at best” to make a play for Soto before the deadline and suggesting that the Rangers, for now, are not a prominent bidder . That mesh with recent reporting from the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, who wrote last night that there was “no traction” between the Yankees and Nationals regarding Soto, even though the Yankees reached out as recently as yesterday evening. Heyman adds that the Nationals aren’t ace high on top prospect Anthony Volpe as the Yankees and many other clubs are, which is a complicating factor in talks.

The Padres and Cardinals are the most oft-suggested fits for Soto, and with good reason, as both are win-now clubs with deep farm systems who could offer the blend of top prospects and controllable big leaguers the Nationals seek. Passan suggests that the Dodgers are “lurking,” however, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic similarly wrote this morning that the Dodgers have maintained talks with the Nats and should not be ruled out as a potential landing spot. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale takes things a step further, tweeting that it’s actually the Dodgers — not the Cardinals or Padres — who have been making the most aggressive offers for Soto recently.

The Mariners, another regularly speculated fit for Soto, don’t appear likely to land him at this point. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto tells The Athletic’s Jim Bowden that while he checked in on Soto, he came away with the impression that there was not a realistic path to acquiring him (twitter link). Presumably, that came prior to Seattle’s Friday acquisition of Luis Castillo — which cost the Mariners their top two prospects.

The Mets, too, have been speculatively listed as trade partners for the Nats. That’s due largely to the team’s huge payroll and aggressive past year under new owner Steve Cohen. However, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Mets believed “relatively quickly in the process” that there’d be such a large market for Soto that Washington wouldn’t have to consider trading him to a division rival. That certainly looks to be the case, although if the Nats do covet the Mets’ best prospects, there’s at least a slim chance of something coming together; both Sherman and SNY’s Andy Martino report that the Mets would only move their very best prospects if it were to acquire Soto or (an even longer shot) Shohei Ohtani. Both reports suggest catcher Francisco Alvarez is off limits unless it’s for one of Soto or Ohtani. Sherman adds third baseman Brett Baty to that list, and Martino suggests third baseman Mark Vientos is viewed similarly.

Regardless of whether Soto specifically changes hands, the market will erupt sometime between now and tomorrow’s 6pm ET deadline. The ticking clock is going to eventually drive teams into activity, and given the lack of movement thus far, we could be in for one of the most active and chaotic 24- to 30-hour spans of deadline dealing we’ve ever seen.

The post Dodgers Aggressive On Juan Soto; Yankees A “Long Shot” first appeared on harchi90.

Buyers, sellers and players to watch

islamlacoste58 — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 15:00:46 +0000

With the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline right around the corner, teams across the league will either look to acquire or part with their star players in the coming week. As trade discussions continue to heat up among clubs, here’s a look at the likely buyers, sellers and players to watch on the trading block:

Trade deadline buyers

New York Yankees

Despite acquiring All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals Wednesday night, the Bronx Bombers could still be looking to add more talent. The club has recently expressed interest in obtaining formidable arms for their rotation and injury-ridden bullpen – which sustained a heavy blow after Michael King’s injury – such as pitchers Frankie Montas, Pablo Lopez and David Robertson.

New York Mets

The Yankees’ crosstown rivals will also be in the mix to add more talent in the coming days after acquiring DH Daniel Vogelbach from the Pirates, as well as outfielder Tyler Naquin and LHP Phillip Diehl from the Reds. Catcher Wilson Contreras and DH Trey Mancini have come up as possible lineup upgrades for the Amazins’, who will likely additionally shop for a bullpen arm.

Daniel Vogelbach

getty

Atlanta Braves

As Atlanta continues to chase after the Mets in the NL East, they’ll likely look to bolster their already strong lineup with modest acquisitions, similar to the additions of Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler at last year’s deadline. Possible reinforcements could include more pitching depth and a better replacement at second base, which is currently held by Robinson Cano in relief of the injured Ozzie Albies.

Houston Astros

The Astros are heavy favorites to win the AL West, but may feel the need to beef up their roster in order to secure a first-round bye over the Yankees in the playoffs. Positions of need could include a left-handed reliever, backup catcher and first baseman. Josh Bell has continually come up as a possible answer to replace Houston’s struggling first baseman Yuli Gurriel, who owns a .243/.293/.392 slash line this season.

Josh Bell

getty

st. Louis Cardinals

st. Louis sent shockwaves through the MLB last week when they were named a potential front-runner to add Juan Soto by rival teams. The club has a plethora of young talent they can use to acquire other impactful players – such as a bullpen piece or rotational arm to replace the recently-injured Steven Matz – if the blockbuster deal doesn’t materialize.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners made one of the biggest early splashes ahead of the MLB trade deadline by trading for Reds’ ace Luis Castillo on Friday night. Though Seattle will likely refrain from making any more sizable moves after dealing three of their top five prospects (as ranked by MLB Pipeline) to Cincinnati in exchange for Castillo, look for them to add another bat to their offense, which ranks 23rd in runs scored .

Sellers

Washington Nationals

The Nats boast one of the most coveted available trade targets in superstar Juan Soto, but it remains to be seen if any team will be willing to fulfill the club’s astronomical asking price. Washington may also look to deal their sure-hitting first baseman Josh Bell, as well as offload LHP Patrick Corbin’s abysmal contract in a deal with Soto.

Los Angeles Angels

Despite boasting two of the biggest stars of the sport in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, the reeling Angels are 16 games below .500 after going a league-worst 19-46 since May 15. Los Angeles is actively listening to inquiries for the latter franchise cornerstone, but could part ways with other arms including Noah Syndergaard, Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera.

Chicago Cubs

Chicago is clearly in rebuilding mode as they sit 19 games under .500 and 15.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central. The club will likely be willing to part with several of their formidable stars, such as catcher Wilson Contrears, reliever David Robertson, lefty Drew Smyly and third baseman Patrick Wisdom.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox entered July sitting 10 games above .500, but have fallen back in the standings thanks to a miserable July. With their playoff hopes quickly fading, the reeling club could look to deal one of their powerful bats in DH JD Martinez or catcher Christian Vasquez. As for Boston’s cornerstone pieces, infielders Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts will likely stay put, with the latter asserting on Thursday that he won’t be traded.

J.D. Martinez

getty

Miami Marlins

Miami sits just a handful of games from the last NL Wild Card spot, yet have still expressed their willingness to trade everyone but ace Sandy Alcantara, according to the Post’s Jon Heyman. Pablo López headlines the pack of available players as a dependable and cheap starting arm, but the club could also look to ship off reliable bats Garrett Cooper, Brian Anderson and Jon Berti.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers came into the 2022 season with high hopes after signing shortstop Javier Báez in the offseason for $140 million, but currently hold the third worst record in the American League at 41-62. Michael Fulmer has performed well in his new bullpen role and could draw interest, as well as fellow pitchers Michael Pineda, Andrew Chafin and Gregory Soto.

Players to watch

Juan Soto, Nationals

The 23-year-old phenom has been the talk of the league in recent weeks after he rejected a whopping 15-year, $440 million offer from Washington. The Padres have emerged as the front-runner to land the generational talent, though the Cardinals, Rangers and Dodgers still remain in the hunt.

Juan Soto

getty

Josh BellNationals

While most eyes in Washington will be on Soto, the Nationals will also look to deal Josh Bell for the right price. The 29-year-old currently boasts a .302/.385/.493 slash line and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Wilson ContrerasCubs

Contreras’ time in Chicago seems to be coming to an end, as the longtime Cub issued an emotional goodbye to the Wrigley home crowd earlier this week. The Mets and Giants have both risen as favorites to land the slugger amid lackluster play from their catchers.

Wilson Contreras

getty

JD Martinez, Red Sox

If the Red Sox do look to become sellers at the trade deadline, they could start by trading away veteran JD Martinez, who has a .288 batting average and nine home runs entering play Saturday. The 34-year-old will become a free agent following the 2022 season and could be a rental bat for several teams in need of help at the DH position.

Shohei OhtaniAngels

Los Angeles has begun to entertain possible offers for Ohtani, who joins Soto atop the list of best available stars. As of now, however, it seems a Ohtani-Angels divorce remains unlikely.

Frankie MontasAthletics

With Luis Castillo’s recent departure to Seattle, Frankie Montas now ranks as arguably the best starter available on the market. The A’s ace has drawn heavy interest from the Yankeeswith the Cardinals additionally keeping an eye on him.

The post Buyers, sellers and players to watch first appeared on harchi90.