MLB Rumors: Aaron Nola's contract, Juan Soto trade, Yamamoto preference
- What are Aaron Nola's contract expectations in free agency?
- Juan Soto might not get traded away from the Padres after all.
- Yoshinubo Yamamoto may not prefer a west coast team.
By Curt Bishop
MLB Rumors: Will Juan Soto be traded?
Just over a year after being acquired by the San Diego Padres, slugger Juan Soto may be on the move again.
However, Jon Heyman of MLB Network pumped the breaks on this rhetoric and shared his opinion on the Soto situation.
Heyman says he is not convinced Soto will be traded indefinitely. He clarified that it could certainly happen, but that he doesn't see the Padres as a potential seller.
I’m not convinced Soto is definitely going to be traded. Not saying he won’t be but I’m just not sure it’s in Padres’ DNA to sell. https://t.co/xxjZZJQJou
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 16, 2023
This could mean several things. It could mean that Soto will ultimately be held onto by the Friars until his contract expires. It could also mean that Soto will be traded eventually, just not during the offseason.
Ultimately, it depends on what direction the Padres see themselves going in for 2024. The team won 82 games during the regular season, but finished in third place in the NL West and fell short of the postseason after their surprise run to the NLCS in 2022.
If Soto is traded, then the Padres may be planning on stepping back from contention for a year or two. It would depend on what the Padres can get for him if he is ultimately traded away this winter.