In an historic deal for one of the best players in baseball, the San Diego Padres pushed all their chips to the middle of the table for Juan Soto.
It was going to take for a team willing to give the world for Soto. The Washington Nationals set the bar high, justifiably so, for one of the game’s best.
There’s always a price to pay for becoming a champion. On Tuesday, the Padres sent notice to the sports world they’re ready to pay the price.
The Nationals dealt Soto, along with Josh Bell, to San Diego in a blockbuster trade. The deal, by far, was the highlight of a wild MLB trade deadline.
The Padres sent a return package to the Nationals including five prospects (left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfielder Robert Hassell III, shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielder James Wood and right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana.
The Nationals also get a familiar face in ex-Yankee first baseman / DH Luke Voit.
For both sides, it was the right deal, a deal which had to be made.
Soto made it that way when he turned away from a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from the Nationals. For them to keep their 23-year old superstar, a bigger Brinks truck was necessary. Furthermore, it’s a hell of a message to turn down that much money. It’s no secret the Nationals are rebuilding.
Soto, still two years away from free agency, may have wanted no part of a rebuild. At just 23 years old, he’s already a two-time All-Star, and a World Series champion. He has the type of talent which backs up the boldness to turn down such an offer.
With the Nationals choosing not to go higher on their offer, trading Soto was the next logical option for a team focused on starting fresh.
And the Padres were right on time.
“We set the bar very, very high, and one team exceeded it, and that’s the deal we made,” Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said. “Props to the San Diego Padres. They’re not afraid, and ownership’s not afraid and A.J. Preller’s not afraid, and they were aggressive — and we made a deal that you call historical.”
Tough talk from a general manager who didn’t make many new friends within the Nationals’ fan base with this move. However, he’s right about the Padres not being afraid.
Soto doesn’t hit free agency until after the 2024 season. That’s a three-year window for the Padres to go all-in for a championship.
“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,” said Preller, the Padres’ general manager. “That’s a long time. … We’ll have time to figure out down the road the long-term commitment.
“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.”
For the Padres, with Soto in the mix, the time is now
Soto joins a lineup which already includes shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and third baseman Manny Machado. Tatis is close to returning from a broken left wrist and could be 10 days to two weeks away from being added to the active roster.
It’s must-see tv with the Padres for the remainder of the season.
“We feel like we’re going to put up a show and it’s going to be really fun to watch,” said Tatis, who is another one of the sport’s young stars.
The spotlight will be on Soto, however it’s not all on him. He’ll have help in Tatis and Machado. Josh Bell is hitting a career-high .301 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs.
Moreover, San Diego also added third baseman/utility man Brandon Drury from the Cincinnati Reds. The 29-year old veteran is enjoying a career season with a .274 batting average along with a career-high 20 home runs.
The pitching staff is solid with an upgrade in the bullpen from Monday’s acquisition of All-Star closer Josh Hader from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Now that the chips are all in, it’s time to play the game.
“We have the talent,” Tatis said of a possible World Series run. “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.”
The Padres still have to prove it in the postseason, we know this. They know it — their fan base knows it.
It will, however, be fun watching them try.
Anthony Rushing is on Twitter @TonyRushingNY
Baseline Sports NY is on Twitter @Baseline_NY
