Yankees acquire Juan Soto in trade with Padres

[Gregg]

A huge 7 player trade with the Yankees and Padres last night.

 

Yanks get Juan Soto and Trent Grisham

Padres get Michael king, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez, Kyle Higashroka

 

Soto is a left-handed power hitter. A hitting machine basically. He is a 3-time all-star who hit .275 with 35 HR's and 109 RBI's. With that short right field fence at Yankees Stadium those numbers should improve. A huge addition to the lineup for the Yankees.

 

Let's Go Yankees

 

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by Gregg
typo

[4merper4mer]

The upside for the Yankees is clear.  The downside is limited but real.  2024 Soto is 100% going to help the Yankees.  If anything, he has too much plate discipline….a concept that has been lost on impact Yankee players for more than 5 years.  That’s a big plus and maybe it’ll rub off on other players.  He is an elite overall hitter and player…..another big plus.  I’d put him top 10 overall players in baseball.  He is NOT a pull hitter so the RF stuff is overblown, but he would produce offense in a park the size of the Grand Canyon so no worries.  If the moronic Yankees try to make him a pull hitter?????  I doubt they mess with him though.

 

Grisham is an even better defender than Bader but a lesser hitter if you can believe it.  The Yankees ruined Bader’s already meh offense.  Grisham arrives pre-ruined and never having had any.  The Padres did well to dump him. Still, he could help the Yankees in some ways.   If he can keep Judge out of CF for some games and lower 99’s injury risk then he can help the Yanks.  He sucks with the bat but is a gamer which is also something the Yankees have lacked.  I think he will be popular in NY.

 

The Padres did ok too.  They were not going to be able to keep Soto long term.  They got numbers in return.  The catcher will help fill a backup role as they currently have an unproven injury prone young catcher with big upside in Campusano.  If Higgy can spell him for 50ish games that will help.  Both are placeholders for ultra phenom Salas who won’t arrive for a couple years.  The pitching stuff is a numbers game for them.  King is ok and Thorpe is a long term maybe.  I don’t know much about Vazquez but have seen enough of Brito to know that he is a throw in.  Maybe with a change of scenery? Probably not. They definitely lost overall on Soto having given up Hassell, Wood, Abrams and Gore.  Yikes.  With one year left they weren’t getting anything close to that back.  It would have been nice if they traded with a team that had actual prospects to offer but the Yankees cupboard is utterly bare.  Thorpe was their best pitching prospect and now becomes the Padres distant 3rd best…….maybe.  He’s not in the same galaxy as Lesko and probably not Snelling.  Still, they needed quantity.

 

Looking beyond 2023 for the Yankees, their ability to retain Soto will tell the tale for this trade.  A quick Google of “Juan Soto agent” might get a chuckle or two about the prospects of that, but it’s probably worth the shot for the desperate, bereft team with skilled organizations in their division like TB and Bal and a good chance Ohtani will be up north for 8 years.

 

FWIW I like the Verdugo thing for them.  Not sure how they will be able to jettison the comic book character known as Giancarlo, but who knows?

 

The 2024 Yankees are definitely better and IMO could contend if there are pitching turnarounds with guys like Montas and Rodon.  Doubtful but possible.  Beyond 2024 money is the only answer for them as their minor league system is garbage.  It’s bottom 5 in MLB and probably even overrated at that.  The good players they have in it get hyped as great then mismanaged….see Volpe….the decent prospects are also hyped as future Mantles…..see Dominguez….and the nobodies even get mentions…..see Periera or whatever his name is.  Also they’re stupid so look for them to trade undervalued assets like Peraza.

[May Day 10]

Soto is going to be a bear to re-sign.  Especially when he cracks more than 50 home runs over that wiffle ball fence.

 

great trade for the Padres considering they had a really weak hand

[Ned Flanders]

Go Orioles!

[4merper4mer]

37 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

Soto is going to be a bear to re-sign.  Especially when he cracks more than 50 home runs over that wiffle ball fence.

 

great trade for the Padres considering they had a really weak hand

Soto is not a pull hitter.  They actually did a little thing on MLB channel last night mapping all his fly balls this year and he would have hit 5 fewer HRs this year if all his games were played in Yankee stadium.  Maybe he changes his approach but why mess with things?

 

Soto will be tough to re-sign but the Yankees do have money.  Boras has a very strong bias toward having his players hit the market.  In any event Soto is a complete player and will help the Yankees in 2024.

 

In a way the Padres had a weak hand but……it was still Juan Soto.

[BADOLBILZ]

17 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

Soto is going to be a bear to re-sign.  Especially when he cracks more than 50 home runs over that wiffle ball fence.

 

great trade for the Padres considering they had a really weak hand

 

 

Yeah I suspect Soto will get $600M and it will be from the Yanks.........and it will end badly as all very long term deals do.....but that only matters if you mind the team spending money.    They could have a $500M payroll and still make more money than every team but the Dodgers in doing so,  so it's not anything a Yankees fan should worry about.   

 

Yeah the Padres did very well in the trade considering they only had one year of control of Soto though.  

 

King and Thorpe could be very good starters.    Brito is very underrated and has good potential as a starter too.   He and Vasquez have great stuff coming out of the bullpen.   That's a good haul for a rental.   San Diego drove a hard bargain but there aren't many good bats in free agency so they had leverage.

 

But at the same time the Yanks are second only to the Rays when it comes to developing arms........and they do it from nowhere.........and even after trading 6 in the past two days they have a bunch more mid-rotation and high leverage bullpen arms on the way.

 

What is interesting to me is that none of these guys the Yankees traded had any value whatsoever the last time Soto was traded.   Their pitching development has really been excellent.    Matt Blake at the major league level has been worth his weight in gold too.   Their hitting development has been the opposite.   Despicably bad.

[4merper4mer]

2 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Yeah I suspect Soto will get $600M and it will be from the Yanks.........and it will end badly as all very long term deals do.....but that only matters if you mind the team spending money.    They could have a $500M payroll and still make more money than every team but the Dodgers in doing so,  so it's not anything a Yankees fan should worry about.   

 

Yeah the Padres did very well in the trade considering they only had one year of control of Soto though.  

 

King and Thorpe could be very good starters.    Brito is very underrated and has good potential as a starter too.   He and Vasquez have great stuff coming out of the bullpen.   That's a good haul for a rental.   San Diego drove a hard bargain but there aren't many good bats in free agency so they had leverage.

 

But at the same time the Yanks are second only to the Rays when it comes to developing arms........and they do it from nowhere.........and even after trading 6 in the past two days they have a bunch more mid-rotation and high leverage bullpen arms on the way.

 

What is interesting to me is that none of these guys the Yankees traded had any value whatsoever the last time Soto was traded.   Their pitching development has really been excellent.    Matt Blake at the major league level has been worth his weight in gold too.   Their hitting development has been the opposite.   Despicably bad.

Lol the Yankees developing arms?  Who?

 

Anyone except the Rays?  Shirley.  Did you watch a single game of Seattle or Cleveland this year?  Dodgers?  DBacks?  They all brought up more good arms this season than the Yankees have in the last five years.

[May Day 10]

Cleveland has been like a pitching factory

[BADOLBILZ]

4 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

Cleveland has been like a pitching factory

 

 

That's true and the Indians are right near the top and their system helped the Yankees get Matt Blake and they've taken what the Indians do and added some to it.    What the Yankees have done with their young pitching development is simply outstanding.

 

Even yesterday after just trading 6 pitchers with minor league options.........MLB had their rule 5 draft and the top 2 picks in the draft were Yankee pitchers! 

 

They don't get elite pitching prospects to work with.   They excel at taking non-prospects and turning them into guys with "great stuff".    Their stuff+ ranked 2nd in all MILB.   Will Warren was an 8th round nobody in 2021 and Yankees pitching coordinator Sam Briend and company went to work on him and he finished the season with the the nastiest stuff of anyone in AAA baseball last season.   People laughed when they drafted Drew Thorpe and his 88 mph fastball and they turned him into the most successful pitcher in all of MiLB and a centerpiece of the Soto trade.   And neither of those guys are their top pitching prospect it's 2022 6th rounder Chase Hampton.

 

And wrt to the draft,  the last 6 times they've had a pick in the actual top 30(real first round) they have selected position players.   No pitchers.   And additionally they have taken the approach of throwing their big international money at 1 star player........and it's always a position player.......Dominguez, Arias, Mayea..........so they aren't putting their capped pool of international money into pitchers either.

 

But the arms keep coming.

 

It's crazy how non-pitching-centric they have been with their key amateur personnel chips in recent years and even though the expensive veteran pitchers they've acquired have been unable to pitch(Montas/Rodon) they are still a tremendous pitching team.    

 

They just can't hit...........and that is largely their decision to go with Dillon Lawson as the head of their hitting program, IMO.         

[4merper4mer]

On 12/7/2023 at 4:03 PM, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

That's true and the Indians are right near the top and their system helped the Yankees get Matt Blake and they've taken what the Indians do and added some to it.    What the Yankees have done with their young pitching development is simply outstanding.

 

Even yesterday after just trading 6 pitchers with minor league options.........MLB had their rule 5 draft and the top 2 picks in the draft were Yankee pitchers! 

 

They don't get elite pitching prospects to work with.   They excel at taking non-prospects and turning them into guys with "great stuff".    Their stuff+ ranked 2nd in all MILB.   Will Warren was an 8th round nobody in 2021 and Yankees pitching coordinator Sam Briend and company went to work on him and he finished the season with the the nastiest stuff of anyone in AAA baseball last season.   People laughed when they drafted Drew Thorpe and his 88 mph fastball and they turned him into the most successful pitcher in all of MiLB and a centerpiece of the Soto trade.   And neither of those guys are their top pitching prospect it's 2022 6th rounder Chase Hampton.

 

And wrt to the draft,  the last 6 times they've had a pick in the actual top 30(real first round) they have selected position players.   No pitchers.   And additionally they have taken the approach of throwing their big international money at 1 star player........and it's always a position player.......Dominguez, Arias, Mayea..........so they aren't putting their capped pool of international money into pitchers either.

 

But the arms keep coming.

 

It's crazy how non-pitching-centric they have been with their key amateur personnel chips in recent years and even though the expensive veteran pitchers they've acquired have been unable to pitch(Montas/Rodon) they are still a tremendous pitching team.    

 

They just can't hit...........and that is largely their decision to go with Dillon Lawson as the head of their hitting program, IMO.         

Lol “the arms keep coming” yet not one of the guys you mentioned has had any impact whatsoever in MLB.  Yanks = Cleveland + huh?  So when are the Yanks brining up Bibee, Allen and Williams?  How about Seattle?  Last couple years netted Kirby, Woo, Bryce Miller and Gilbert.  Dodgers?  Lol.  Astros, D-Backs, O’s, Tigers, Braves, Miami, have all inarguably been VASTLY more successful at the MLB level and I’m being generous by truncating my list.  
 

IYHO who is the best MLB level pitcher the Yanks have developed I. The last 3 years?  5?  

[thenorthremembers]

Soto is so stereotypically Yankees.   Came out of the gate looking like the 2nd coming but has slowly turned into a one dimensional power hitter.   

 

Don't get me wrong he's a good player but with lots of peaks and valleys.  

[4merper4mer]

1 hour ago, thenorthremembers said:

Soto is so stereotypically Yankees.   Came out of the gate looking like the 2nd coming but has slowly turned into a one dimensional power hitter.   

 

Don't get me wrong he's a good player but with lots of peaks and valleys.  

I’m not saying that can’t happen in NY or anywhere else but it is inaccurate with regard to current day Soto.  He has more plate discipline than the rest of the Yankees roster combined and hits to all fields.  

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

Lol “the arms keep coming” yet not one of the guys you mentioned has had any impact whatsoever in MLB.  Yanks = Cleveland + huh?  So when are the Yanks brining up Bibee, Allen and Williams?  How about Seattle?  Last couple years netted Kirby, Woo, Bryce Miller and Gilbert.  Dodgers?  Lol.  Astros, D-Backs, O’s, Tigers, Braves, Miami, have all inarguably been VASTLY more successful at the MLB level and I’m being generous by truncating my list.  
 

IYHO who is the best MLB level pitcher the Yanks have developed I. The last 3 years?  5?  

 

 

Probably Nestor Cortes and Jordan Montgomery...........also considered non-prospects who they developed into very good starters.    

 

Still can't believe they traded Montgomery for that POS Bader but that's the kind of arrogance they have with regard to mid-rotation arms.    Their rationale has been that they know they aren't likely to get aces without high picks so they aspire to develop mid-rotation and high leverage bullpen type arms.    Cortes was one of the best starters in MLB for a year and a half until his shoulder injury related to prep for the WBC.    Their production is about numbers.    They produce A LOT of major league arms without much investment in the draft or international money at all.   Your Cardinals have benefitted from that in trades like Montgomery and Gallegos.   The Yanks simply didn't have room for Gallegos because their bullpen is always loaded.

[BADOLBILZ]

2 hours ago, thenorthremembers said:

Soto is so stereotypically Yankees.   Came out of the gate looking like the 2nd coming but has slowly turned into a one dimensional power hitter.   

 

Don't get me wrong he's a good player but with lots of peaks and valleys.  

 

 

Yeah hopefully he comes in much leaner and ready to get back to being a good defender and better base runner.

 

I could see this trade being just a rental if he doesn't show a greater commitment to being great and have a better year than last year.   He's gotten lazy and someone is going to have to give him a 13-15 year deal to lock him up, most likely.

 

Really also depends on how their top prospect (Spencer Jones) and #2 prospect (Dominguez) and guys like Pereira and Ben Rice progress this season.    

[4merper4mer]

32 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Probably Nestor Cortes and Jordan Montgomery...........also considered non-prospects who they developed into very good starters.    

 

Still can't believe they traded Montgomery for that POS Bader but that's the kind of arrogance they have with regard to mid-rotation arms.    Their rationale has been that they know they aren't likely to get aces without high picks so they aspire to develop mid-rotation and high leverage bullpen type arms.    Cortes was one of the best starters in MLB for a year and a half until his shoulder injury related to prep for the WBC.    Their production is about numbers.    They produce A LOT of major league arms without much investment in the draft or international money at all.   Your Cardinals have benefitted from that in trades like Montgomery and Gallegos.   The Yanks simply didn't have room for Gallegos because their bullpen is always loaded.

Cortes 100% had a good year in 22.  I admittedly forgot him because of his lost year this year.  I’d argue that Montgomery was decent with the Yanks and  my Cards but he improved when they tweaked some things in Texas.  Not sure how that reflects positively on the Yanks development.  Next year will be interesting for him.  

16 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Yeah hopefully he comes in much leaner and ready to get back to being a good defender and better base runner.

 

I could see this trade being just a rental if he doesn't show a greater commitment to being great and have a better year than last year.   He's gotten lazy and someone is going to have to give him a 13-15 year deal to lock him up, most likely.

 

Really also depends on how their top prospect (Spencer Jones) and #2 prospect (Dominguez) and guys like Pereira and Ben Rice progress this season.    

SD had a weird year this year with an odd locker room.  I don’t think Soto was the cause or that his year was some sort of catastrophe.  The only position player on that entire team who met expectations in 2023 was Kim, who far exceeded them.  Their pitching was ok +, but their season never got rolling at all.  Soto is too talented to just disappear.  I think he will have a strong year if healthy and he’s usually healthy.  Boras is his agent though……

[thenorthremembers]

5 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

I’m not saying that can’t happen in NY or anywhere else but it is inaccurate with regard to current day Soto.  He has more plate discipline than the rest of the Yankees roster combined and hits to all fields.  

He just tends to struggle with having a consistent batting average.  Very slow starter.   

[Buffalo Super Fan]

The upside if Juan Soto can lead the New York Yankees to a championship or two. The downside the back end of the contract when Juan Soto production goes down potentially because of age in my opinion. Go Bisons! Go Yankees! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[BADOLBILZ]

 

Yankees and Dodgers have a trade brewing to help LA open up a couple 40 man roster spots for Shohei and Joe Kelly.

 

Supposedly a 40 man roster pitcher and a 40 man roster prospect from the Dodgers for a non-40 man roster prospect from the Yankees.

 

Specifics should be available in the morning.

 

Update:

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/yankees-dodgers-trade-teams-make-swap-to-shuffle-rosters-after-shohei-ohtani-juan-soto-deals-per-report/

 

 

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by BADOLBILZ

[BADOLBILZ]

 

Also Yanks meeting with Yamamoto today.   25 year old potential ace likely to get $250M-$300M from either Dodgers, Mets or Yankees.

 

There is also some rumor floating around that Roki Sasaki might have an out in his contract and that he could become available(without posting fee) to MLB teams in the next week or so.   He's maybe the most hyped pitching prospect ever from Japan.   He's going to be 22 and his fastball has topped out at 102 mph(see highlights below).   That would be a situation like when Ohtani came over.........he is not eligible for veteran free agency........he can sign anywhere he pleases but will just get whatever international bonus pool money a team has to offer.   He would eat up all of their bonus money like Dominguez/Arias/Mayea did so the continuation of that rumor has it that the Yanks have been telling the prospects that they had lined up in their latin american class to seek contracts elsewhere.

 

 

[May Day 10]

I wonder when Cleveland is meeting with Yamamoto

[4merper4mer]

Half the teams in the league are meeting with Yamamoto but my best guess is still a big market team.  My top guess?  Dodgers.  Toronto probably seriously in the mix too.

 

I’ve read a bunch about Sasaki but am less than convinced he has an out.  If he doesn’t, it’s 2026 for him.

[BADOLBILZ]

3 minutes ago, 4merper4mer said:

Half the teams in the league are meeting with Yamamoto but my best guess is still a big market team.  My top guess?  Dodgers.  Toronto probably seriously in the mix too.

 

I’ve read a bunch about Sasaki but am less than convinced he has an out.  If he doesn’t, it’s 2026 for him.

 

Sasaki might have an out but it still would be in his best interest if his team just agreed to post him instead...........then he becomes a regular unrestricted free agent instead of entering MLB needing to build up service before UFA.........and the team at least gets the posting fee instead of nothing.    I'm sure the Japanese don't want 21 year olds jumping to MLB after only 2-3 seasons of pro ball in Japan anymore than MLB would want their own young players getting free agency at that age.......so this is a conundrum for the league if he does have an out in there.  Sasaki would probably get Yamamoto money in a posting situation.     

[BADOLBILZ]

 

The 2023 IFA period ended today and Roki Sasaki did not become available to MLB teams.

 

Rumor is Sasaki will be available in the 2024 IFA class and that he will go wherever Yamamoto goes if it's just between the Yankees and Dodgers.    Sasaki reportedly idolizes Yamamoto.   Lending credence to those rumors.......the Yankees just dropped all of their top prospects in the 2024 IFA class........purportedly to leave $3M in money for Sasaki.     The two top prospects in the Yankees class that they were going to sign in January reportedly have gone to the Orioles and Pirates.

 

 

[4merper4mer]

On 12/15/2023 at 6:29 PM, BADOLBILZ said:

 

The 2023 IFA period ended today and Roki Sasaki did not become available to MLB teams.

 

Rumor is Sasaki will be available in the 2024 IFA class and that he will go wherever Yamamoto goes if it's just between the Yankees and Dodgers.    Sasaki reportedly idolizes Yamamoto.   Lending credence to those rumors.......the Yankees just dropped all of their top prospects in the 2024 IFA class........purportedly to leave $3M in money for Sasaki.     The two top prospects in the Yankees class that they were going to sign in January reportedly have gone to the Orioles and Pirates.

 

 

This explains it better:

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/roki-sasakis-mlb-timeline-remains-a-mystery-with-japanese-pitching-phenom-not-posted-before-dec-15-deadline/

 

There is no way his Japanese team will forfeit $30+M.  It's 2026 for Sasaki unless he has some clause in his contract that frees him up next year but somehow didn't this year.  Even if he does, he'll cost himself $100M plus.  Still, he appears to want to play in the US soon or else he wouldn't have asked. 

Edited December 18, 2023 by 4merper4mer

[4merper4mer]

Any updates on this?

[SinceThe70s]

7 minutes ago, 4merper4mer said:

Any updates on this?

 

Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead? 

 

Soto is still a Yankee?

[4merper4mer]

9 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead? 

 

Soto is still a Yankee?

Perhaps you missed the thread moving to Yamamoto, Sasaki and a lack of understanding on how posting works.  The actual update is that the Yankees appear hopelessly behind the Dodgers in throwing money around, hopelessly behind 85% of the league in developing prospects and grasping at straws for how to legitimately compete.  Their closest baseball comparison is the SF Giants who are having trouble for different reasons but at least have a few players in the pipeline.  Their closest franchise comparison is Snyder era Washington throwing money at anything that is past its prime and still drawing breath in an attempt to assemble an indecipherable strategy.
 

The Yanks appear to be heading toward 2024 with a swing and miss lineup that added a 1 year rental great player, a few sparse young players in the midst of being ruined/wasted and few to no bargaining chips.  Their starting pitching might be good if healthy though.  Should be fun.

[4merper4mer]

I’ll go on record here saying I think the Stroman pickup is a solid one for the Yankees.  If I were them I’d be careful with Snell.  He’s a great pitcher but really gives me the vibe of a guy who is better off in a smaller market.  He walks a lot of guys and gets out of it in SD but with the added stress in NY?  Ed Whitson vibes.

[4merper4mer]

Corbin Burnes to the Orioles for about their 8th and 9th best prospects.  Granted they’re good and would be the Yankees top 2 prospects, but Baltimore just got a top 10 MLB pitcher and didn’t make a dent in their system.  Brewers could have gotten more IMO.  See you in 2029 if you’re lucky Yanks.

[4merper4mer]

An MRI machine will soon determine whether the Yankees 2024 season will

 

1. disappoint due to unrealistic expectations or 

2. comically flail about in a hysterically hopeless downward spiral all year

 

Personally I hope Cole checks out well.  He’s a great pitcher if a bit of a b word.  It would be a shame to see yet another top guy go down with an elbow.

Edited March 12 by 4merper4mer

[muppy]

my best friend has padres 41 game season tickets. I'm calling her to ask what she thinks. That is a blockbuster trade by anyone's definition.

 

oh and on a totally random  (and related to the Best actress winner Emma Stone.) She is originally from San Diego and a huge Padres fan.

 

I don't follow MLB but I'm insomniac and saw this thread.  San Diego is a Padres town. They LOVE their baseball here.  and of course Hate the Dodgers.

 

Peace out. m