MLB Rumors: Juan Soto favorites, Ohtani field, David Ross's next stop

CBS Sports predicts favorites to trade for Juan Soto

The San Diego Padres failed to live up to their lofty expectations after falling three wins short of making it to the World Series in 2022. The team finished 82-80 and fell two games short of clinching a Wild Card berth. So far this offseason, they allowed manager Bob Melvin to leave for the San Francisco Giants. Now, the team not only needs a new manager but also to decide what to do with the roster.

Outfielder Juan Soto is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, so now's the time for the Padres to make a decision. Do they sign him to a potentially record-breaking contract? Or do they trade him this winter or at the trade deadline to ensure they get a valuable return from an interested team? The latter does seem the most likely, considering the team reportedly took out a $50 million loan to pay their players in September.

CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson listed the rankings of teams with the best chances of having Soto on their roster for Opening Day 2024. It's not a definitive "this is going to happen." Anderson says it is "an entertainment exercise." So the five favorites Anderson lists to have Soto on the Opening Day roster are in the following order:

5. San Diego Padres
4. Boston Red Sox
3. Chicago Cubs
2. New York Mets
1. New York Yankees

Now, let's evaluate the options.

The Yankees have been popularly linked to Soto this offseason. They missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and their recent moves have blown up in their faces. This would qualify as the big splash move that could appease a frustrated fanbase is seeing the team sticking by general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone. But, it's a matter of whether Steinbrenner or Cashman would even want to make the move.

Their fellow New York counterparts, the Mets, have shown they are not afraid to flex owner Steve Cohen's checkbook. But their spending spree last year backfired and they traded Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, respectively, for their top prospects. Would the Mets consider trading away prospects, potentially the ones they received in the Verlander and Scherzer deals?

The Chicago Cubs are in an interesting position, as they have a new manager in Craig Counsell. But, they are highly likely to lose outfielder Cody Bellinger in free agency. Filling the void with Soto would suffice as a quality replacement in the outfield.

As for the Boston Red Sox, you can't count them out. They are linked to Shohei Ohtani, and they lost shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency to the San Diego Padres last winter.

The Padres could very well keep him and wait for the trade deadline, as Anderson mentions that CBS Sports heard from front-office sources they are skeptical of the team trading Soto in the offseason.