Updated MLB trade grades: Yankees finally cash in on Juan Soto blockbuster

UPDATE: Physicals are still being completed and players have not been told of the deal yet.

There is an apparent holdup in the Yankees-Soto talks. A deal is still expected to go through at some point as teams figure out the missing parts.

Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, a trade has been agreed upon by the two sides. Here is the full deal.

The New York Yankees missed out on the postseason for the first time since 2016 after finishing the season 82-80. The fanbase was livid with what they've seen, not just in 2023 but in previous years, that resulted in early playoff exits. While Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman have praised their operation, the fans still weren't thrilled. One way they could alleviate that is to land a big star or two.

Well, they got perhaps the biggest name on the trading block.

The Yankees are close to acquiring Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres and a deal is being finalized, per MLB Network insider Jon Morosi. The Yankees will acquire outfielders Soto and Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres, if Morosi is correct. Heading over to San Diego to complete a trade is starting pitcher Michael King, No. 5 prospect Drew Thorpe, No. 13 prospect Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, and Kyle Higashioka. YES Network's Jack Curry was first to report the return for San Diego.

So, let's grade the trade.

Yankees acquire superstar Juan Soto from Padres in blockbuster trade

Yankees trade grade: A

After missing out on the playoffs in 2008, the Yankees went on a spending spree to bring in top talent like C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J. Burnett. That resulted in the team winning their 27th World Series title in 2009. The Yankees need to go back to the "Yankee Way" to show that they don't prioritize "bargain-bin" shopping to contend for a championship.

Landing Soto is perhaps the biggest move they could have made that wasn't signing Shohei Ohtani. Soto is easily a top-10 hitter in all of baseball and should help improve what was a weakness in 2023 -- production at the plate. While his defensive ability isn't exactly the greatest, you're acquiring him for his bat. Besides, it sounds like he will play right field, which is perhaps the easiest place for him to play.

Soto played in all 162 games for the Padres this past season, where he recorded a .275 batting average, a .410 on-base percentage, a .519 slugging percentage, 35 home runs, 97 runs, 109 RBI, 156 hits, 129 strikeouts, and a major-league high 132 walks in 568 at-bats.

The Yankees are acquiring Soto for just the 2024 season, as he is set to be a free agent. Considering he is a Scott Boras client, he will likely hit free agency and command a $500+ million contract. But for a team looking to contend for their 28th World Series, this is a move they needed to make.

Also coming along in the deal is Grisham. Joel Sherman of the New York Post floated the idea that the Yankees could use Grisham as their fourth outfielder and to fill in at center field late in games. Grisham hasn't hit over .200 in each of the past two seasons, but is a good defender in the outfield. Given the Yankees' injuries in the outfield last season, the more depth, the better.

Bringing in Soto should help repair the relationship between the Yankees organization and the fanbase. Now, who are they bringing in next?

Padres trade grade: B

Trading away a perennial superstar like Soto is a tough pill for any team to swallow. But with Soto set to become a free agent at the end of next season, and the fact that there have been no updates on progress in contract extension negotiations. If general manager A.J. Preller felt that there was no way they could keep him around long-term, trading him to get some value in return.

For all accounts, it sounds like the Yankees were the only team willing to surrender enough that the Padres would give the thumbs up to trade away Soto. But, the Padres are getting a pretty good return.

Starting pitcher Michael King has been solid throughout his career. This past season, King pitched in the bullpen before being added to the starting rotation. In 49 games (nine starts), King recorded a 2.75 ERA, a 1.146 WHIP, a 4-8 win-loss record, six saves, 127 strikeouts, and 32 walks in 104.2 innings. King would provide flexibility for San Diego as an option out of the bullpen or in the starting rotation.

Then there's Thorpe, one of the Yankees' top pitching prospects in their farm system. Thorpe, a 2022 second-round pick. Here is what MLB Pipeline had to say about Thorpe's potential:

"Recruited by Cal Poly as a two-way player, Thorpe has the athleticism and strength to repeat his simple delivery, provide plenty of strikes and pile up innings," h/t MLB.com "He has advanced feel for pitching, and his ability to sequence and locate his pitches allows him to the get the most out of his stuff. He has a high floor as a near-certain starter and he could work his way into the middle of a big league rotation."

This past season with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, Thorpe recorded a 2.52 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, a 14-2 win-loss record, 182 strikeouts, and 38 walks in 139.1 innings (23 starts).

Add these names, Vasquez, and Brito, this is not a bad return for the Padres, who needed pitching help in the worst way. Not to mention they get a veteran catcher in Higashioka. But it does sting to not have Soto in their lineup, which they had expected would help the organization win its first World Series title.

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