As the MLB trade deadline approached, all eyes in the baseball world were on the future of Juan Soto. The Nationals superstar outfielder had turned down an extension offer prior to the All-Star break and when Washington wasn’t willing to make a new offer, they put him on the trade market and fielded offers from teams around the league.
While it took longer than expected, the Nationals finally found a deal they liked as the San Diego Padres continue to go all-in on their young, talented core, sending three of their top 14 prospects (per MLB.com’s prospect rankings) to Washington in the deal, along with three other players, per Jeff Passan and Jon Morosi.
Sources: #Padres and #Nationals have agreed in principle on a Juan Soto trade, with Josh Bell also going to San Diego. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 2, 2022
Sources: #Nats are set to receive CJ Abrams, OF Robert Hassell III, OF James Wood, RHP Jarlin Susana for Juan Soto and Josh Bell. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 2, 2022
The package going back to Washington for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, sources tell ESPN:
– LHP MacKenzie Gore
– OF Robert Hassell III
– SS C.J. Abrams
– OF James Wood
– RHP Jarlin Susana
– one more major league playerThat's the only holdup right now to the agreed-upon deal.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 2, 2022
It is believed to gain access to all of this minor league talent (arguably the most ever traded in 1 deal) the Nationals on taking on Eric Hosmer.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) August 2, 2022
Hassell and Wood are the Nos. 1 and 3 prospects in the Padres farm system, as the Nats get a pair of talented young outfielders and seriously bolster their farm system in the process. On the Padres side, they’re fine sending two of their top prospects out for the uber-talented Soto, as they are looking to battle the Dodgers for NL West supremacy for the long haul (after also trading for star closer Josh Hader from the Brewers), with Soto joining Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. (currently rehabbing a wrist fracture) in what will be one of the most fun, young trios in all of baseball.
UPDATE: There is one hold up on the trade and it is Eric Hosmer, who the Padres need to waive his no-trade clause and to this point he hasn’t.
Soto deal will not be official until Hosmer agrees to waive his no-trade stipulation to the Nationals. To this point he has not, according to a source. Negotiations almost certainly taking place.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 2, 2022
Hosmer can, effectively, hold this up until he is given some further guaranteed money to waive his no-trade (or the Padres are forced to find a different player to include).
UPDATE 2: The deal instead had to get done without Hosmer, with the two sides finalizing a new agreement that keeps Hosmer in San Diego.
When Soto was informed by the Nationals he's moving, it was immediately clear some version of the deal will get done. The Padres knew that Eric Hosmer had Washington on his no-trade list and could invoke it. There are always different iterations.
The point: The deal will happen. https://t.co/TFH8vob1p4
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 2, 2022
