Juan Soto Odds: Unsurprising Favorites To Trade For Nationals Superstar
Only so many teams can afford Soto long term
Juan Soto didn't want to talk about the swirling trade rumors after he won the Home Run Derby on Monday night, but that doesn't mean the rest of the baseball world isn't talking about it.
Soto reportedly turned down a historic 15-year, $440 million offer from the Washington Nationals this summer. His decision now has prompted the Nationals to listen to trade offers for the 23-year-old superstar.
Given the contract numbers that Soto likely will demand, there are only so many teams that realistically can afford the outfielder. And that's why some of the betting favorites, the teams with the best odds to land Soto, aren't too surprising.
Bookies.com oddsmaker Adam Thompson revealed hypothetical prices on where Soto will be playing after the 2022 trade deadline, which is Aug. 2. The odds presented by Thompson can not be found at other sportsbooks, but nevertheless indicate the most likely landing spots.
Washington Nationals +300
New York Yankees +375
Los Angeles Dodgers +400
San Francisco Giants +550
St. Louis Cardinals +1000
Seattle Mariners +1200
New York Mets +1750
The Field +525
The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported the Nationals will be seeking a team's top four prospects, possibly one or two young major leaguers while asking the team that trades for Soto to take back a bloated Washington contract. It clearly will take a mix of assets to acquire Soto and then finances to maintain him.
The Yankees, as they so often do when it comes to players of this magnitude, immediately jumped to the front of the line in the minds of many Major League Baseball insiders. The Bronx Bombers have the cash to keep Soto in pinstripes and could offer talent from their farm system.
The San Diego Padres also have been speculated as a possible landing spot for Soto while many others have questioned whether the Boston Red Sox would opt to trade for him. Both of those teams, in regards to Thompson's prices, would qualify as "The Field" given their not listed individually.
Soto, one night after winning the Home Run Derby, will take the field in Los Angeles for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday. But his future after that is far from certain.
