The Yankees have checked in with the Padres concerning the commerce candidacy of Juan Soto, reviews Andy Martino of SNY. These discussions, which Martino unsurprisingly categorizes as “preliminary,” must be one among many calls that San Diego receives on the famous person outfielder within the weeks and months to return.

Groups are nonetheless prohibited from making trades, though there was by no means any probability of the Padres making such a monumental transfer this early within the offseason anyhow. Golf equipment can determine and focus on early targets in preparation for the reopening of the commerce window, which happens the day after the top of the World Collection.

Hypothesis about Soto’s availability has lingered again to earlier than the commerce deadline. The scuffling Padres elected to purchase over the summer season, hoping these additions would mix with improved play out of their current roster to push them again into competition. San Diego didn’t begin profitable constantly till it was too late, by no means erasing the deficit and ending two video games behind the Diamondbacks.

The underwhelming place within the standings alone was all the time going to reignite chatter about Soto’s availability. Including gasoline to the fireplace have been numerous late-season reviews that the Friars hoped to chop again spending. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune pegged the goal determine round $200MM, which might be practically $50MM south of this previous season’s stage. Even when the Padres don’t slice payroll to that extent, it appears clear they are going to be extra austere this winter than they’ve prior to now couple offseasons.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz tasks Soto for a $33MM wage subsequent 12 months, his ultimate season of arbitration eligibility. That’d simply high the $30MM document which Shohei Ohtani established final winter for an arb-eligible participant, making Soto the highest-paid participant on the San Diego roster. But even that lofty determine is properly under the open market worth for one prime-aged season of a participant who’s among the many recreation’s 5 finest hitters.

The three-time All-Star overcame a comparatively sluggish begin to flip in a characteristically wonderful season. Soto hit .275/.410/.519, popping 35 dwelling runs whereas main baseball with 132 walks. Amongst batters with 500+ plate appearances, he ranked third in on-base proportion and eleventh in slugging.

Soto could be an enormous improve for any crew in baseball. Whereas that’ll make him a preferred goal, it might additionally make buying and selling him an enormous resolution for the Padres. San Diego goes to make one other push to compete in 2024. Eradicating Soto from the equation makes that fairly a bit tougher, even when they’re capable of reallocate a few of that payroll room into addressing a mediocre backside of the lineup and/or filling a rotation that might lose every of Blake Snell, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo to free company.

Even when the Padres have been totally decided to chop participant spending to the $200MM vary, they don’t need to commerce Soto to make that occur. If Wacha, Lugo and Nick Martinez every hit free company, the Friars would have round $127MM in wage commitments for subsequent season. That doesn’t embrace Soto’s arbitration projection, which might push them close to $160MM. Arbitration projections for Trent Grisham and Scott Barlow would nudge them previous $170MM.

That won’t depart a ton of area within the finances free of charge agent acquisitions — and so they’ll actually want to deal with the rotation in some type — but it surely doesn’t pressure their hand on a Soto commerce particularly. Any of Grisham, Barlow or Ha-Seong Kim would have enchantment if the Padres have been to contemplate advertising them as a substitute.

Martino means that Soto may very well be accessible if one other crew places forth an applicable supply, indicating the 25-year-old will not be categorically untouchable. That aligns with feedback from president of baseball operations A.J. Preller in the beginning of the offseason. At season’s finish, Preller instructed reporters the group would reengage Soto’s illustration on the Boras Company a few potential extension (hyperlink by way of AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). Requested about the opportunity of a commerce if they’ll’t work out a long-term deal, San Diego’s baseball ops chief famous they’ve “by no means been a bunch that (guidelines out) something” earlier than reiterating that their “first path” could be a chat with Soto’s camp a few contract.

If the Padres get to some extent this offseason by which they’re severely entertaining a Soto blockbuster, the Yankees are one among a variety of groups that may very well be concerned. New York is nearly as good a match as any given their willingness to spend on the high of the league and a necessity to deal with left discipline. Each crew with payroll room would have room on the roster for Soto, though solely groups with a respectable path to competition in 2024 are believable suitors to high the commerce marketplace for a participant one 12 months from free company. The Yankees are the primary of many groups which might be more likely to be talked about in Soto rumors in the course of the offseason.