The Los Angeles Dodgers have completed multiple blockbusters over recent years and now are being speculated among the teams that potentially could pull off a Juan Soto trade with the Washington Nationals.
One month after Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo emphatically stated the team was not interested in trading Soto, the 23-year-old now appears to be on the market. The change stems from Soto reportedly rejecting a 15-year, $440 million contract extension.
That became public knowledge during All-Star Week Los Angeles, which left Soto facing questions about his future heading into the Home Run Derby and Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium. He expressed disappointment with the development but said his focus was on playing for the Nationals.
As speculation continues to run rampant leading up to the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 2, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes addressed the franchise’s farm system and possibility of acquiring Soto, via MLB Network Radio
“Juan Soto is obviously one of the best players in the game, so any team would be fortunae to have him in their lineup. I think we’re expecting whatever that return is going to be, probably the greatest return ever for a player; with the control and the age and talent.
“I think everybody will want Juan Soto on their team, and it’s kind of having those conversations and seeing where it ends up. … We feel like our farm system is very strong, so everything is balancing the now versus the future and trying to navigate what makes sense and what moves the needle in the most effective way. We didn’t go into the deadline last year expecting to trade for Max and Trea, so we’re going to be opportunistic and kind of see how things play out.”
Along with the Dodgers, the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals reportedly are among the teams that have held preliminary Soto trade talks with the Nationals.
Some view the Cardinals as the frontrunner to trade for the generational talent, while there have been reports the Mets and Yankees are against parting with the necessary prospects in a deal.
Who would Dodgers have to trade for Juan Soto?
The Nationals reportedly are asking for a return of upwards of five young players that is a combination of top prospects and those with low Major League service time.
With that, the Dodgers conceivably could put together a Soto trade that would feature some combination of Gavin Lux, Diego Cartaya, Bobby Miller, Andy Pages, Michael Busch, Ryan Pepiot and Miguel Vargas.
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