Bronx Blockbuster Brewing?

On Wednesday, reports came out that the Yankees checked in on San Diego Padres superstar outfielder Juan Soto. Soto, 25, has 1 year of control through the 2024 season. And he is preparing to get one of the largest free agent contracts in Major League History. What could it take for the Yankees to acquire the Dominican Superstar?

Soto has been one of the most polarizing players in baseball since he made his MLB debut in 2018 at age 19(!). He won a World Series before he could legally drink alcohol in the United States (2019), and we know the Yankees sought Soto at the trade deadline in 2022 as well as 2023. As the Yankees have reportedly kept their tabs on him with San Diego struggling and failing to make the Postseason.

Soto’s 2023 Stats:

162 G

708 PAs

.275 AVG

.410 OBP

.519 SLG

.929 OPS

155 wRC+

5.5 fWAR

18.6% BB%

18.2% K%

Put simply, Soto can rake. He is absolutely everything that you want in an offensive player. A mix of elite power and on base skills, along with a much lower strikeout rate than league average. Soto could be the 1B superstar hitter to Judge that this team has lacked since 2017. Soto is going to cost you a lot even for one year. But let’s look at what I believe would be a fair offer for Soto.

My Mock trade for Juan Soto goes like this:

San Diego Receives: RHP Clarke Schmidt, RHP Chase Hampton (#4), OF Everson Pereira (#3), and INF Anthony Rizzo.

Let’s break this down for both sides. The Yankees would be receiving Soto, as established. The Padres on the other side would be getting a mixture of needs here. Controllable starting pitching, as well as an MLB outfielder and a regular middle of the lineup bat. Schmidt can slot right into the Padres rotation and could see a jump in his numbers with Petco Park being more pitcher friendly. Chase Hampton was one of the highest prospect risers this year. Boasting elite stuff throughout the minors and is one of the best pitchers in the Yankees farm system. Everson Pereira broke into the majors at the end of the season. Though he underperformed, he showed a lot of what the Yankees were looking for. Power, high Exit velocities, and good swing decisions. All of which he delivered, he just didn’t get the type of results that were expected. Lastly, Anthony Rizzo. Martino reports that Rizzo could potentially go to San Diego as a means to open up more payroll flexibility. The Yankees could use that extra money to pursue top free agents like Cody Bellinger or Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Simply put, the Yankees cannot let Juan Soto be dealt anywhere that is not New York. This type of player could change the way the Yankees play and could propel them much farther than back into the postseason.

Lineup with Juan Soto (And Healthy Jasson Domínguez):

2B Gleyber Torres

RF Aaron Judge

LF Juan Soto

DH Giancarlo Stanton

CF Jasson Domínguez

1B DJ LeMahieu

SS Anthony Volpe

C Austin Wells

3B Oswald Peraza