Juan Soto rumors: 3 teams battling for All-Star Slugger ahead of 2022 MLB Trade Deadline
Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto has been the talk of Major League Baseball recently. Not only did he just win this year's Home Run Derby, he has also been in trade rumors since declining Washington's extension offer.
Juan Soto and his new hardware. #HRDerby https://t.co/xpwXTZIfkM
"Juan Soto and his new hardware." - MLB
On July 16, the Nationals offered Soto a 15-year deal worth a whopping $440 million. If Soto were to have signed this, it would have been the largest deal in Major League Baseball history. However, he turned it down.
So far this season, Soto is batting .250, slugging just shy of .500, totaling a .901 OPS. He also leads the MLB in walks with 79 and has 20 home runs on the year. Though impressive, these numbers are down for Soto.
Juan Soto has established himself as one of the league's top players at just 23 years old. Since entering the league in 2018, Soto has hit .293, with a .541 slugging percentage and an incredible .968 OPS. He also already has 118 career home runs and 563 hits in just 555 games played.
Acquiring a player like Soto would be a hude addition to any squad. As it becomes increasingly more likely he will be traded, the question arises: Which team will he be traded to? Here are three teams that Juan Soto could see himself on come this trade deadline.
#3 New York Yankees
Although the New York Yankees are the best team in the league so far, they can still get better. With Joey Gallo vastly underperforming, the Yankees are in need of a third outfielder to pair with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Soto would be an amazing player for this role.
The Yankees have a wealth of prospects. They probably would not even have to trade away their top prospect Anthony Volpe. Do not be surprised if Soto is in pinstripes this August.
#2 New York Mets
Perhaps the team with the most rumors behind Juan Soto is the New York Mets. The reason for this stems from multiple Mets players greeting Soto and trying to recruit him at the All-Star Game. Also, Mets owner Steve Cohen is known for doing everything it takes to be the best, so anything could be possible.
Find someone that looks at you the way Starling Marte looks at Juan Soto https://t.co/DiR9yO9sNq
"Find someone that looks at you the way Starling Marte looks at Juan Soto" - Amazin' Army
The only reason they are not number one on this list is because they play in the same division as Washington. It is unlikely that a team will trade their superstar in division. Not to mention that the two teams are also rivals. However, it is still definitely possible.
#1 St. Louis Cardinals
The team that is in the best position to get Juan Soto might be the St. Louis Cardinals. They are currently fighting with the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central and could use the extra boost. Soto would be a great outfielder for them, and would pair nicely with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in the lineup.
Nice to see a future Cardinal participating in the Derby #STLCards https://t.co/IQ0Ztzt4vJ
"Nice to see a future Cardinal participating in the Derby" - STL Sports Central
The Cardinals also have a lot of young pieces to trade off. The difference is that St. Louis' players are MLB ready compared to the other team's pieces. They will also have plenty of cap space to sign Juan Soto in 2024 free agency. The Cardinals are in a great spot to get Soto, and they should try to capitalize on that.