The San Diego Padres, per reports, appear determined to cut some payroll after their failed 2023 postseason bid.
Obviously, doing so would weaken their chances to advance to the playoffs next year, as well.
A quick (but not at all painless) way to shed some salary would be trading star outfielder Juan Soto.
Soto has played a season-and-a-half in San Diego, and was at his best in 2023 with a .930 OPS, 35 home runs, 106 RBI, and 132 walks.
He is a superstar who is young (25 years old), experienced, and with lots of individual and collective accolades.
It appears the Padres can’t afford him at this point, as he is set to make more than $30 million in his last season of salary arbitration.
MLB insiders believe it’s not a matter of “if” he is traded, but when.
His teammate on the Padres, Fernando Tatis Jr., doesn’t want to see him go, though.
Tatis thinks the two can lead the Padres to have a special season in 2024 and made it clear in a recent encounter with the media, via Talkin’ Baseball.
Fernando Tatis Jr. is making his case for Juan Soto to stay in San Diego pic.twitter.com/rEsOX4HQJv
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 1, 2023
“I want Soto in San Diego”, he said, and also stated that if both of them produce at their highest level, special things could happen.
Tatis is right.
The best Soto, the one who had as good an MVP case as Bryce Harper in 2021, can post a .999 OPS with an average over .300, an OBP over .400, and a slugging percentage near .550.
The best Tatis, in that same year, hit 42 home runs, stole 25 bases, and posted a .975 OPS in just 130 games.
Their best-case scenarios could easily take the Padres back to the playoffs.
It appears, if the rumors are true, that they won’t be together in 2024.
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