Padres pull off blockbuster trade for Nationals’ Soto

Juan Soto is joining Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in San Diego. Jorge López, Michael Fulmer and Tyler Mahle are going to Minnesota. Noah Syndergaard, David Robertson and Brandon Marsh are heading to Philadelphia, and Joey Gallo is looking for a fresh start with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Baseball’s trade deadline day was an action-packed affair — 27 trades in all — and no one had more fun than the Padres.

San Diego made the biggest splash, acquiring Soto in a massive deal with the Washington Nationals. The sweet-swinging Soto, still just 23 years old, joins Machado in the middle of the Padres’ order, and Tatis is on his way back after being sidelined by a broken left wrist.

The Cardinals and Yankees swapped big leaguers, with Gold Glove-winning center fielder Harrison Bader going to New York in exchange for left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery. The Atlanta Braves geared up for their title defense by sending former closer Will Smith to the Houston Astros for right-hander Jake Odorizzi, and then acquiring reliever Raisel Iglesias in a deal with the Angels.

The Toronto Blue Jays got second baseman Whit Merrifield in a trade with Kansas City — it’s unclear if Merrifield plans to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to play in Canada — and fortified their bullpen by adding Anthony Bass and Zach Pop in a deal with the Miami Marlins. The Brewers added reliever Trevor Rosenthal in a trade with San Francisco.

San Diego acquired Soto and first baseman Josh Bell from Washington for rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore, first baseman/ DH Luke Voit and prospects James Wood, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana.

After landing Soto, a generational talent who helped Washington win the 2019

World Series, San Diego also acquired infielder Brandon Drury from Cincinnati. The Padres sent minor league shortstop Victor Acosta to the Reds for the 29-year-old Drury, who has a careerhigh 20 homers this year.

Eric Hosmer was part of the Soto deal before he vetoed the move, and San Diego ended up trading the first baseman to Boston along with two minor leaguers and cash in exchange for minor league left-hander Jay Groome.

The Twins bolstered their pitching staff with three trades, acquiring López in a deal with the Baltimore Orioles and Mahle in a swap with Cincinnati. Fulmer came over from Detroit for minor league right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long.

The 29-year-old López is in the middle of a breakout season, with a sparkling 1.68 ERA and 19 of his 20 career saves. The 27-year-old Mahle is 5-7 with a 4.40 ERA in 19 starts. Fulmer has a 3.20 ERA and two saves in 41 appearances. The Twins have a 5.30 team ERA since the AllStar break.

Baltimore received minor league pitchers Cade Povich, Yennier Cano, Juan Nuñez and Juan Rojas from Minnesota for López. Cincinnati got the bigger haul of prospects — infielders Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Spencer Steer, and lefthanded pitcher Steve Hajjar. OTHER DEALS » The Tampa Bay Rays traded outfielder Brett Phillips to the Baltimore Orioles for cash . ... Toronto added depth to its bullpen by acquiring relievers Anthony Bass and Zach Pop from the Miami Marlins for shortstop prospect Jordan Groshans.

ALSO » The Chicago White Sox activated center fielder Luis Robert from the 10-day injured list . ... Texas Rangers right-hander Jon Gray will miss at least four to six weeks after being placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain . ... Former All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy says he is retiring, more than a year after playing his last major league game.