Padres: This prospect package could land them Juan Soto

A prospect package from the Padres that could land them Juan Soto.

Juan Soto trade rumors continue to swirl all around the major leagues as we are now just four days away from the 2022 MLB trade deadline.

With the news being reported that the Washington Nationals are seeking a “prospect heavy” package, there seems to be no team more equipped to make such a deal than the San Diego Padres, who are reportedly seen as one of the favorites to acquire Soto’s services.

Let’s have some fun and speculate what it would cost the Padres to land themselves Soto.

Padres: The prospect package that could land Soto

As far as prospect heavy packages, I’m not sure it gets any better than this if you’re the Nationals.

In MacKenzie Gore, you have a highly hyped uber-prospect that broke into the big leagues for the first time this season as a 23-year old. He has had some strong starts and some not so strong starts, even being delegated to bullpen duty leading up to the All-Star Game, but he still comes with the tools to be a future ace. Baseball America, FanGraphs and The Athletic all had him tabbed as the No. 1 pitching prospect in the game as recently as 2020.

In 16 appearances (13 starts) this season, Gore is 4-4 with 72 strikeouts and 37 walks in 70 innings. He has allowed just seven home runs in that span and has looked promising in his first stint in the majors. Unfortunately, he was recently placed on the injured list with elbow inflammation but he appears to have avoided a major injury.

Adrián Morejón, 23, joined Gore as one of the most hyped-up prospects in the league in recent years. Morejón, however, has had significant problems with injuries and has never topped 65 innings in a single season. As a lefty starting pitching prospect with high expectations, that certainly is disappointing to see.

Morejón does have some big league action under his belt as well, making his big league debut back in 2019 as a 20-year-old. Since then, he has a total of 22 games (eight starts) under his belt, going 3-2 with a 5.27 ERA, striking out 45 and walking 10 but also surrendering 11 home runs in just 41 innings.

Joshua Mears is one of two players in this potential deal that has yet to crack the big leagues, but he is well on his way. The 21-year-old is capable of playing all three outfield spots and has flashed a unique combination of power and speed to start off his professional career. Last year he hit 17 home runs and stole 10 bases in just 71 games.

To begin 2022, Mears has split his time between Rookie Ball and High-A, playing in a combined 51 games and hitting 12 home runs along the way. If there was a hole in his game, it’d be the fact that he strikes out a ton. In High-A he’s currently sitting at a K percent of nearly 47 percent, one that rivals even Joey Gallo, who is sitting at 39 percent on the year.

Robert Hassell is another player that has the makings of a superstar with all the tools to back it up. He is an on-base machine and while he doesn’t have a ton of pop in his bat, it is likely to develop as he ages but the speed and outstanding defense is already there. Hassell, 21 next week, has nine home runs and 52 RBI on the season in High-A, stealing 19 bases and posting a .303 batting average so far.

C.J. Abrams, 21, is yet another high-end prospect in the Padres system who has actually made his big league debut this season. In 43 games in multiple stints, Abrams has two home runs and some new-found defensive versatility, logging appearances at second, shortstop and right field. Abrams is not one to hit for much power but he is lightning fast on the bases and, like the others before him in this list, has the makings of a star at the big league level.