Juan Soto Deal Likely, Top MLB Insider Predicts Trade Possibility Amidst Off-Season Lull

While there has been an unusual quiet regarding Juan Soto, it doesn’t mean that talks have stalled. There were doubts about whether teams would be ready to trade Soto with only one year left in the current contract. But gradually it has become clear that many suitors are waiting to sign the Dominican powerhouse. So why has there been such a silence regarding his trade? Could it mean that the San Diego Padres are having second thoughts? 

While the Pads would love to keep a player of Soto’s caliber on their roster, the reality is they can’t. There are a multitude of reasons why Soto would have to go and an insider has listed a few of them.

The Friars’ funds problems make a Juan Soto trade obvious

The Padres started 2023 with the third-largest payroll in the league, but their performance was nowhere near those numbers. The market is not supportive of such expenses, especially when they’re set to lose $50 million due to a lost TV contract. Added to that there is the tragic demise of their owner, and the club needs to cut finances. Juan Soto is the evident solution.

His massive $33 million salary in 2023 will not sit well with the budget cuts. The Friars can also get good prospects in return as Jon Heyman suggests in The New York Post, “Rivals see the Padres getting two top-100 prospects for him.” This would also give them much-needed flexibility in the market because, with Soto, they couldn’t possibly spend much without incurring huge tax problems.

Probably this is the reason Heyman thinks that the deal is almost certain to happen even if the noise has died. With most teams currently focused on big free agents available in the market, trades have taken a backseat. But once it’s done, the Soto situation is sure to pick up steam with many clubs like the New York Yankees ready to take him in.

Are the New York Yankees frontrunners for Soto?

While the Chicago Cubs sit near the top of the list, the Yankees are ahead in the race. The Bronx squad saw a series of losses last season due to a lack of left-handers. Now with them potentially looking to get out Cody Bellinger sweepstakes, the stage is set for Soto.

Read more: Jon Morosi Predicts Yankees Deal for Juan Soto, Expects Bombers to Go All in on 25YO Star

The New York Mets want him as well. But they currently seem poised to focus more on Yoshinobu Yamamoto and other pitchers. Other teams would have to manage their funds in order to afford his salary.

What all of this means is that maybe Juan Soto will do his shuffle in the Pinstripes after all.

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