The blockbuster Juan Soto trade has gone down. One of MLB’s best players is headed from the west coast to the New York Yankees.
Multiple media reports indicate that Soto and veteran outfielder Trent Grisham are headed from the San Diego Padres for a package centered around pitchers Michael King and Drew Thorpe. Another three players are headed to the Friars, including two more pitchers.
Here is a full break down of the biggest trade thus far during the MLB offseason.
| New York Yankees get | San Diego Padres get |
| Juan Soto | Michael King |
| Trent Grisham | Drew Thorpe |
| Jhony Brito | |
| Randy Vásquez | |
| Kyle Higashioka |
There is so much to unpack here. New York certainly paid a premium in acquiring one of the best all-around players in the game. That includes four MLB-ready pitchers heading to the Padres for a player in Soto who will be a free agent after the 2024 season.
It’s a move that has been a long time coming for New York. General manager Brian Cashman noted earlier in the offseason that it had a need for left-handed hitting outfielders. The Pinstripes ended up getting one of the best in the game. This move comes after New York acquired fellow outfielder Alex Verdugo in a rare trade with the rival Boston Red Sox.
From San Diego’s perspective, a lot has been made about the team’s need to cut payroll. Roughly 17 months after acquiring Soto from the Washington Nationals, the team turned the page on this marriage. It made sense given that he’s set to hit free agency after next season and was unlikely to remain in San Diego long-term
Below, we check in on the four biggest winners and losers from Wednesday’s blockbuster Juan Soto trade.
Related: New York Yankees reportedly not in on Shohei Ohtani
Winner: Juan Soto heads to a big market
Still only 25 years old, Soto now heads into a contract year playing in North America’s largest media market. He’s unlikely to sign an extension before hitting MLB free agency next winter. This now gives the three-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner a prime opportunity to prove his worth.
- Juan Soto stats (2023): .275 average, 35 HR, 109 RBI, .930 OPS
Soto was darn solid for the Padres after they acquired him from Washington midway through the 2022 season. He hit .265 with 41 HR, 125 RBI and a .893 OPS.
However, those numbers did not come close to comparing to what he did during the star’s run in Washington. His tenure in D.C. included a .291 average with a .966 OPS. If Soto is able to duplicate this in New York, he’s going to be in for a near-record pay day on the open market next winter.
Loser: Other contenders after Juan Soto
It became rather clear late in the process that New York was the overwhelming favorite to land Soto. However, other teams were in on him throughout talks after the 2023 season. That included the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays.
Now that Soto is headed to the Bronx, these teams have to turn their attention to lesser options. Primarily, we have to look at the Cubs and Mariners. Chicago made a splash move by hiring manager Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers. The team is said to go big-game hunting. Instead, it faces the real possibility of losing Cody Bellinger in free agency while losing out on Soto.
As for the Mariners, general manager Jerry Dipoto has spent the early portion of the offseason clearing payroll for a big-time addition to the lineup. Seattle is apparently out on Shohei Ohtani and was not able to acquire Soto. It’s back to the drawing board in the Pacific Northwest.
Winner: New San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt
This former St. Louis Cardinals manager knew that he was not headed to a Padres team geared for a full-scale rebuold. However, he had to know that Soto would not be part of the plans in 2024 and beyond in talks with San Diego’s hierarchy.
Sure, the Padres moved on from Soto. It also doesn’t paint GM A.J. Preller in the best of lights (more on that below). But San Diego did acquire MLB-ready talent for a rotation that needs it with Cy Young winner Blake Snell joining Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha on the MLB free agent market.
Michael King, 28, was solid last season. He pitched to a 2.75 ERA and 1.15 WHIP while striking out nearly 11 batters per nine innings. King appeared in 49 games with nine starts a season ago. After pitching out of the bullpen for the majority of last season, King made starts in his final eight appearances — allowing eight earned runs in 38.1 innings while striking out 49 batters. He’ll be in the Pads’ rotation.
Drew Thorpe, 23, was New York’s fifth-ranked prospect according to MLB.com at the time of the trade. The former second-round pick was dominant in Single-A and Double-A last season, pitching to a 14-2 record with a 0.98 WHIP in 23 starts. He could be fast-tracked to the bigs.
Meanwhile, Brito and Vásquez gives Shildt two rotation options to open the 2024 season. Brito , 25, posted 9-7 record with a 4.28 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 25 games (13 starts) for New York last season. The Yankees’ 13th-ranked prospect, Vásquez was also solid for the Pinstripes (2.87 ERA, 1.27 WHIP).
Related: 4 more moves the Yankees could make after Juan Soto trade
Loser: San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller
You can’t look at this trade in a vacuum. Rather, we have to go all the way back to August of 2022 when San Diego pulled off the initial Juan Soto trade with the Washington Nationals. That deal saw Preller give up MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell, James Wood, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit. It was a massive haul for Washington to receive.
Fast forward more than a calendar year, and we’ve already seen that blockbuster pay off for Washington. Gore started 27 games for the big-league club in 2023, posting a 4.42 ERA while striking out 10 batters per nine innings. Abrams hit 18 homers, drove in 64 runs and stole 32 bases despite struggling to get on base (.300 OBP). While Hassell struggled to hit at the minor league level (.221 average, .645 OPS), James Wood was elite in two minor league stops (27 HR, 91 RBI).
These four are going to be centerpieces for Washington as the team looks to regain relevance in the National League East. Meanwhile, the Soto trade resulted in a loss in the National League Championship Series in 2022 and a down season for San Diego in 2023. In turn, they moved him to New York for pennies on the dollar in comparison to what Preller gave up to Washington.