According to an explosive report from MLB Network, Dominican outfielder Juan Soto has been traded by the Washington Nationals. He is now a San Diego Padres player, the Southern California team just landed the most coveted player in the entire market and left other teams biting the dust. The MLB trade deadline is set to end this Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET with Soto announced as a trading option in late July.
Juan declined a 15-year, $440 million extension offer that placed him on the market. San Diego Padres are also getting first baseman Josh Bell in the trade. Other teams that were considered as candidates to land Soto were the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers but the Padres beat them to it. Since his debut in the 2018 season, Soto has been one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball.
Juan Soto’s stats.
With 119 home runs in his MLB career, Juan Soto’s stats are impressive for a player who is only 23 years of age. Entering Tuesday, he’d hit .291/.427/.538 (169 OPS+) and those 119 homers. Although the trade hasn’t been confirmed yet, the report suggests it is only a matter of hours.
If it happens, Soto joins a list of great players who left the Nationals that include Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner and Max Scherzer. The latter two left to play for Los Angeles Dodgers during the most recent trade deadline. Pending official announcement, Juan Soto will be a San Diego Padres player by the end of the trade deadline.
Soto is set to join the team where Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado are playing right now, it can become a true title contender in the next decade. The total package includes six San Diego Padres players who are set to play for the Nationals.
