MLB Rumors: Diagnosing the Padres’ three options with Juan Soto

Come the offseason, the San Diego Padres have three options with Juan Soto. Here’s FanSided’s insider Robert Murray to break them down.

When the San Diego Padres acquired Juan Soto in the summer of 2022, they understood they had three chances at a World Series with him until he became a free agent.

In 2022, the Padres were eliminated in the National League Championship Series. In 2023, they are now 55-59 and in serious jeopardy of missing the postseason. And with Soto becoming a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, it could prompt general manager A.J. Preller and the front office to tackle a difficult question: What to do with Soto?

As it stands, there are three possible options for the Padres, so let’s diagnose the situations and likelihood of each.

Padres option No. 1: Trade Juan Soto

Had the Padres sold at the 2023 deadline, trading Soto was a possibility. The team listened to inquiries and set a high-asking price in return for their star outfielder, leading some teams to believe that Preller had no intentions of trading Soto or even star closer Josh Hader, sources tell FanSided.

If the Padres do trade Soto in the offseason, they would get a sizable haul in return. It would not come close to matching the six-player package that they sent to the Nationals in 2022, of course. But an acquiring team would have Soto, one of the best players in baseball, under contract for a full season – and a team that misses out on Shohei Ohtani as a free agent this winter could attempt to overpay for Soto.

A trade, at least as of right now, is unlikely. But before the Padres even consider moving Soto in the offseason, they would surely explore…