There was very little action at the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville this week, but business finally picked up Wednesday night with the news that Juan Soto is heading to the Yankees as part of a blockbuster trade with the Padres.
Reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The transaction has finally been completed, an official announcement is expected soon. According to multiple reports, Soto will be headed to the Bronx in exchange for right-handers Michael King, Johnny Brito, Randy Vazquez, top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka. Trent Grisham will also be going to New York as part of the deal.
The Yankees had reportedly resisted including King in previous talks with the Padres, but the team’s change in attitude appears to have moved the negotiations forward. Brian Hock of MLB.com It was reported earlier tonight I’m told there was a delay because San Diego was doing some medical testing, but it looks like everything has been resolved. This will be a steep price for the Yankees, but Soto is a special hitter with the potential to transform, if not generational, their offensive line.
Related: MLB Free Agent Tracker
It’s no secret that the Yankees, who finished 24th in MLB with an OPS of .701 last season, needed help in their batting lineup. Meanwhile, only the Athletics had a worse batting average than New York’s .227. Soto, 25, hit .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs and 109 RBIs in 162 games last season, and should help in that regard. He also led the majors in walks for the third consecutive year. The left-handed slugger at Yankee Stadium is a true slam dunk, but Soto’s power can be used in all areas.
Soto is in his final year of team control and is expected to earn about $33 million through arbitration. The Padres were willing to make a trade with these factors in mind, but this was a decision the Yankees absolutely had to make even though his long-term future was in question.
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The Yankees acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Red Sox on Tuesday, which will likely leave Aaron Judge in center field most days. He may not be that great defensively, but it’s safe to say the lineup is already in much better shape. Having Soto and Aaron Judge hitting back-to-back in the Yankees’ batting lineup is certainly a scary proposition.
This move gives the Padres much-needed rotational strength with free agents Blake Snell, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. King impressed as a starter last year and should slot into the rotation right away. He will join Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish, who are returning from injury. Thorpe, a second-round pick starting in 2022, posted an impressive 2.52 ERA and 182/38 K/BB ratio in 139 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A last season. He is currently in the major leagues, and it won’t be long before he reaches the major leagues. . He has a chance to be a really good player. Brito and Vazquez each showed promise as rookies last season and are expected to start for the Padres in 2024. Higashioka, who will turn 34 in April, is an experienced reserve player with solid framing ability.
According to MLB trade rumors, Grisham is a huge salary dump for the Padres. project The 27-year-old has batted below .200 in each of the past two seasons, but his center field defense should help New York down the stretch.
The Yankees’ next goal is to upgrade their own rotation. The club continues to maintain a relationship with Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who could sign a 10-year contract worth in the $300 million range. The evil empire may be back, folks.