Juan Soto rumors: MLB insider gives odds on trade and one possible hold-up

ESPN senior MLB insider Jeff Passan gives his odds of Juan Soto getting traded and what would prevent it from happening.

The MLB trade deadline is this upcoming Tuesday, Aug. 2, and the main focus will be whether the Washington Nationals will actually move on from star outfielder Juan Soto. That all came to be after a 15-year, $440 million contract offer was declined by Soto.

During an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” ESPN senior MLB insider Jeff Passan was asked the odds he would give the Nationals trading Soto before the deadline. Passan said 80-20 odds but says that if Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo “continues to stick to the ask that he’s put out to teams,” he feels that Soto stays put.

You can listen to Passan’s comments in the tweet below, which also includes the YouTube link to the full interview.

MLB insider Jeff Passan gives odds of Juan Soto trade

It has been reported in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline that the Nationals have a high asking price for Soto. Passan says that Rizzo had been asking for “125 percent of Soto’s value,” which is between five and six “tippy top prospects.”

Passan does say that if Rizzo lessens his asking price, he can see the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers being “the likeliest landing spots.” He also lists the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners as potential teams.

Rizzo has let it be known that he wants the most value imaginable for Soto. He even revealed during a recent radio appearance on 106.7 The Fan in Washington D.C. that he has no interest in including a bad contract in a Soto trade because he does not want to “dilute” the return.

Soto is under contract for two more seasons before he hits free agency, so there is time for the Nationals to wait for a trade offer that they feel is adequate. Even so, fans will be looking at the 80-percent odds and see who will be able to get a deal done by the deadline.