Could Padres Actually Be Considering Juan Soto Trade?

Unthinkable as it might be, the San Diego Padres are approaching the Aug. 1 trade deadline and could consider Juan Soto to be a worthwhile trade.

San Diego dealt five prospects and veteran first baseman Luke Voit in exchange for Soto and Josh Bell at last season’s Major League Baseball trade deadline, but the Padres currently sit at 40-46 and are six games out of National League wild-card contention ahead of Friday’s matchup with the New York Mets.

After a slow start, Soto has begun to put up his typically impressive numbers this year. The 24-year-old is batting .274 with 47 RBIs and 15 home runs and was named an NL All-Star on Sunday. The Padres standout is in the running for the NL MVP nod behind Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves, Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers and former Boston Red Sox Mookie Betts, per oddsmakers at BetMGM.

Soto’s contract is set to expire next season, though, and there is no guarantee the outfielder will remain with the Padres, especially with the squad having a sub-.500 season thus far. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman believed the chances of Soto re-signing were slim in a column posted last week.

San Diego has spent a lot of money on stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and ex-Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Re-signing Soto likely would result in a $40 million annual contract, an amount the Padres may not be willing to spend.

If San Diego knows it won’t be in the mix for a playoff spot by the Aug. 1 deadline, it might be better for it to deal Soto before he gets the chance to take measures into his own hands.