First and foremost, the Boston Red Sox should be thrilled to see superstar Juan Soto reportedly traded far away from New York, and far away from any other rival in the American League East.
Soto reportedly has been traded to the San Diego Padres in a multi-player deal which includes the Washington Nationals landing a handful of prospects. The trade, which initially was reported early Tuesday afternoon, took some time to be agreed to with former Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer remaining steadfast as his no-trade clause allowed him to veto a trade to Washington.
Former Padre Luke Voit proved to be the needed sweetener as Voit’s inclusion reportedly got the deal across the finish line.
The blockbuster had a multi-layer impact on the Red Sox, too.
The fact Soto did not land in the American League, as previously mentioned, is far and away the biggest takeaway. Soto previously was linked to the rival New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, which would not have been ideal for the Red Sox in either the short or long term. The Yankees since added Frankie Montas, two relievers and outfielder Andrew Benintendi, though, so it’s clear New York has went all-in even without having to trade their top prospect.
Additionally, the fact that Hosmer put a stop to being traded to Washington allowed the serviceable first baseman to reportedly land in Boston. With the Padres-Nationals deal seemingly in a standstill, the Red Sox swooped in to acquire the 32-year-old veteran. It helped Boston fill what’s become somewhat of a black hole at first base while dealing 23-year-old Triple-A pitcher Jay Groome to San Diego.
Last but not least, also included in the trade for Soto was former Nationals first baseman Josh Bell. Bell now will join a revamped San Diego lineup with the organization clearly pushing its chips into the middle. From a Red Sox perspective, Bell had been linked to Boston as somewhat of a dream candidate to take over at first base and provide a pop in the lineup. Given how the Soto trade reports Tuesday included Bell at the time, it’s fair to think the Red Sox were not in on Bell. The addition of Hosmer, at least on the surface, is not what prevented the organization from going in on Bell, who is on an expiring contract.
