When the Juan Soto-New York Yankees saga took a left turn as a surprising development occurred recently. As the Bronx Bombers and San Diego Padres were a little too far in their trade expectations, the Toronto Blue Jays swooped in with an attractive offer. Even though the Bronx squad stalled the talks with Friars, they aren’t completely dead per MLB insiders.

Their need for a lefty is too big for them to stay away. Especially when they still hold the biggest cards in this deal. However, while the Jays are already connected with Shohei Ohtani, they have the means to go for Soto as far. However, what’s the truth behind the proposals from each team?

The possibility remains for the New York Yankees to acquire Juan Soto

Soto was linked with the Yankees since the start of this offseason, but everyone knew things wouldn’t be as simple as they looked. The cost of his high salary and just a year of contract turned most of the teams away. But it was a given that at least a few teams would still look to have a proven game-changer. So it wasn’t surprising to see the Blue Jays enter the race.

The astonishing part was the demands that the Friars had from the Bombers. They wanted Michael King, Drew Thorpe, and 4-5 more prospects. Soto was always expected to be expensive, but this took it to the next level, leading to the Yanks stalling their talks.

On the flip side of it, the Blue Crew do have a chance to get Soto, as they have a good number of pitching prospects. Ricky Tiedemann, Bowden Francis, and Alek Manoah can attract the Pads. But the challenge is that Manoah flopped hard last season. Would the Padres take the risk of getting him when they’re unsure of his return to former glory? 

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The question becomes bigger when one sees the Yankees offering Clarke Schmidt, a proven starter. This is why the Yankees still have an edge over the competition. They just have a better quality of players available to trade. There are speculations by fans that this could also be a negotiation tactic deployed by the Pads.

Is there a tactical battle going on?

Even though the Yankees hold the upper ground in these negotiations, the Pads aren’t willing to give up Soto easily. Their major complaint is that the Bombers are acting like they’re the only ones after Soto. Bringing another team to the mix can make the Friars’ case stronger.

Especially when it’s a team like the Blue Jays, who possess the wherewithal to do big deals. Coupled with the desperate need of the Yankees for a lefty, the Pads may have hit a negotiatory jackpot. With all this, things are certainly heating up.

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