Padres’ future gets Soto now
Nationals also deal Bell, get six in return
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres acquired superstar outfielder Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals on Tuesday in one of baseball’s biggest deals at the trade deadline, vaulting the Padres’ postseason chances by adding one of the game’s best young hitters.
The Padres also obtained first baseman Josh Bell while sending a haul of players to Washington of rookie lefthander MacKenzie Gore, first baseman/DH Luke Voit, and prospects James Wood, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III, and Jarlin Susana.
Voit was a late addition to the deal after San Diego first baseman Eric Hosmer declined to waive a no-trade provision, according to a person with direct knowledge of the move who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Soto is a generational talent who turns 24 in late October, when the Padres hope to still be playing for a title.
After contributing to the Nationals’ first championship in franchise history in 2019, Soto hit .351 in 2020 to win the NL batting title. He has been walked more than any other player in baseball over the past two seasons.
“The atmosphere here is they want to win, and not just go to the playoffs but win a World Series,” said All-Star closer Josh Hader, who was obtained by San Diego from Milwaukee on Monday in another big deal. “That’s a contagious atmosphere to be a part of.”
San Diego began the season with a luxury-tax payroll of $229.3 million, just below the first threshold, and the trades push the Padres into tax territory for the second straight season. Soto is owed $5,978,022 for the rest of this season and Bell $3,516,844.
The package of prospects going to Washington is one of the most touted groups ever involved in one deal. Gore and Abrams debuted in San Diego this season after ranking among the sport’s elite minor leaguers, Hassell and Wood are both Top 100 prospects according to MLB.com, and Susana was considered the best pitcher available in the 2021-22 international free agent class.
Washington general manager Mike Rizzo set a lofty asking price last month after reports emerged that Soto turned down the team’s latest contract offer of $440 million over 15 years.
Soto remains under team control for two more seasons after this one, which made it no sure thing the Nationals would trade him now.
Soto, in the midst of his second All-Star season, joins a loaded lineup that also includes All-Star Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. when the shortstop returns from a broken left wrist.
Tatis seems to be about two weeks away from being added to the roster.
With little protection around him in Washington’s lineup, Soto hit .246 with 20 home runs, 45 RBIs and 91 walks in 101 games.
Rather than calling the Soto trade another crushing blow in the name of dismantling the roster, Rizzo deemed it a step toward contending sooner than later. Rizzo wore his World Series ring and a shirt bearing the trophy intentionally to show what the team has done and hopes to do again.
“In 2019, we had a slogan, ‘Bumpy roads lead to beautiful places,’ ” Rizzo said. “We’re in a bumpy road right now, and we believe that coming out of this thing, it’ll be a beautiful place.”
Soto’s only a couple of years removed from slugging .695 with a 1.185 OPS and .490 on-base percentage — all NL bests.
Soto becomes the latest Nationals player to be traded as part of the organization’s rebuild and with ownership looking to sell the team. Last year, Rizzo traded shortstop Trea Turner, ace Max Scherzer, power hitter Kyle Schwarber, and five others at the deadline, and Washington has let Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, and others move on in free agency.
“I feel terrible for them,” injured reliever Sean Doolittle said of Nationals fans forced to watch one franchise cornerstone after another depart. “I can empathize with how they’re feeling after the guys that we’ve had here that are wearing other uniforms.
“What can you say? I don’t know. I’m still here, if that helps.”