Washington Nationals: Trade Proposals For Juan Soto

If the Washington Nationals are going to trade Juan Soto, they need to aim for a package of this magnitude.

Listen. I understand not wanting to trade Juan Soto. He’s only 23 and already has a career bWAR of 21.1. Since he made his MLB debut in 2018, Soto has become a two-time all-star named to the All MLB-First team twice and the second time once, while winning a batting title and two silver sluggers. Most importantly, he was instrumental in the Washington Nationals winning the 2019 World Series. Superstars with two and a half years left of arbitration don’t hit the trade market for a reason.

Should the Washington Nationals trade Juan Soto? Only if they believe that’s the only option. The National’s front office should wait until the end of the season, finalize selling the team, and then have the new owners sit down and start discussions with the superstar. But keep in mind that Soto’s value will never be higher and they risk missing out on a franchise-changing return.

Teams are obviously excited at the chance to land Soto, but should be forced to pay an arm and a leg in return. It was reported last week that the Nationals are setting the price and not negotiating — as they should be. Add what the Mariners gave up for Luis Castillo and the Nats should be aiming for a king’s ransom. Going off of some of the teams that MLB executives believe could land Soto, here are some projected trade proposals that Washington should be asking for.

The Longshots

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have been connected to the Nationals, but should be seen as longshots due to lacking the young MLB-ready talents that some of the main contenders can offer. Top prospect Jack Leiter would be the main prize for Washington, but the 22-year-old has battled injuries dating back to his time at Vanderbilt. And when he has been healthy this season he’s struggled — going 2-8, with a 6.24 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings at AA. The Ranger’s second-ranked prospect Josh Jung also has injury concerns adding risk to the Nationals’ potential return.

Milwaukee Brewers

Juan Soto is making $17 million in arbitration this year and that number is only going to go up the next two years. A small/mid-market team, the Brewers have other key players in arbitration to worry about. Despite just being signed to a five-year extension, a potential package could be built around Aaron Ashby and their top prospect Jackson Chourio.

New York Mets

Yes, the Mets have the top prospects to get a deal done(Álvarez, Baty, Mauricio, Ramirez), but it doesn’t matter. Due to being in the same division as the Nats, New York would have to double their offer to get Washington to even think about working with their rival.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners were seen as favorites but just traded three of their top five prospects for Luis Castillo. It is very unlikely they still have the ammo to get a Soto deal done.

New York Yankees

After trading for Andrew Benintendi, New York has turned their eyes toward pitching.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have never been shy when trading for superstars — with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado coming to mind.  They have a top farm system and the potential capital to pull off a blockbuster trade, but the question arises — will they be willing to meet the Nationals asking price?

The Cardinals have an advantage over most teams when it comes to a Soto deal — they have a stacked farm system plus plenty of young MLB players with multiple years of service left. It is super unlikely for the Cardinals to agree to ship out all three of Dylan Carlson, Nolan Gorman, and Jordan Walker and the Nats will most likely have to settle with two of the three.

Any Soto trade with the Cardinals has to start with top prospect Walker. Ranked the 7th best prospect per MLB Pipeline, the 20-year-old is slashing .304/.391/.498. with 10 homers, 41 RBIs, and an OPS of .889. He has a solid hit tool and absurd power — leading to him projecting as a middle-of-the-lineup bat.

The Cardinal’s second-ranked prospect Matthew Liberatore has struggled this season at AAA and in the majors — so Washington should set their focus on one of the younger players on the Cardinals roster — starting with outfielder Dylan Carlson and infielder Nolan Gorman. Carlson is only 23 and has four years of control left, while Gorman is a year younger and has six years of control. Carlson

A natural third baseman, Gorman is blocked by Arenado and has been solid defensively at second — posting one DRS and a 0.8 UZR. In 52 games with the Cardinals, he’s hitting .234, with nine homers, 22 RBIs, and an OPS of .743. He needs to work on his strikeouts (59), but has flashed his power potential. With holes at second and third, Gorman would immediately slot in for the Nats.

Currently their fourth-ranked prospect, shortstop Masyn Wynn has been shooting up the Cardinal’s farm system thanks to his 80-grade arm.

Rounding out the trade is RHP Gordon Graceffo, the Cardinal’s fifth-ranked prospect. He started the season at A+, posting an 0.99 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings. His dominance led him to be promoted to AA — where he is 5-2, with a 3.38 ERA, and 47 strikeouts. Utilizing a four-pitch mix, Graceffo projects to be a mid-rotation starter — with his mid-late 90s fastball leading the way.

Is this a lot? Yes. But the Cardinals would be getting Soto for at least three playoff pushes and would have the offensive firepower to compete with the top teams in the NL.

San Diego Padres

The Padres were once viewed as favorites to land Soto, but former top prospect MacKenzie Gore recently landed on the IL — hampering their chances.

A.J. Preller and the Padres seem the most determined to get a deal done and by default would be willing to give in to Washington’s asking price. San Diego would probably fight against having to part ways with Jake Cronenworth due to his bat and ability to play all over the infield. Only 28, he has three years of arbitration left and would help solidify part of the Nationals infield. He’s having a down year compared to 2021 when he slashed .266/.340/.460, with 21 homers, 71 RBIs, and an OPS of .800.

Despite struggling in his first season in the majors, C.J. Abrams entered the season as the Padre’s top prospect and has shown signs of life this past month. This season he’s played sparingly (121 ABs) — slashing .231/.280/.322, with two homers, 11 RBIs, and an OPS of .603. But in 30 ABs, this month, he’s slashing 300/.313/.433, with a homer, four RBIs, and an OPS of .746. He has at least five years of control left and in D.C. would receive ample playing time. Most importantly, he wouldn’t have any pressure hanging over his head to succeed immediately.

Robert Hassell and James Wood are the Padre’s first and third-ranked prospects and are both top 100 prospects per MLB Pipeline, ranked 22rd and 89th respectively. Both have been raking at their respective levels, proving they are ready for promotions to AA and A+ respectively. Rounding out the deal would be the Padres’ 2021 first-round pick, Jackson Merrill.