What Teams Are in the Juan Soto Trade Sweepstakes?
The St. Louis Cardinals are my current best bet to land the Washington Nationals’ Juan Soto with a trade expected by the trading deadline.
Whenever you are a contender to land a player with the immense talent and future potential that Soto brings, you go for that player. He has three years left on his contract and that makes the Cardinals a favorite to win the NL Central division and a contender for the World Series.
Cardinals Have Prospects Galore
The Cardinals have the deepest farm system in MLB, making them an enticing trade partner.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo makes decisive moves and has probably already identified the players he wants in exchange for Soto.
No team has as many top-tier prospects that are near or at MLB ready status as the Cardinals. This makes a blockbuster trade a good possibility.
Jordan Walker, a 19-year-old third baseman who the Cardinals drafted 21st overall in 2020, would likely be a Rizzo target. Walker batted .314 with 14 homers in 82 games at Class A.
Nolan Gorman, who has made 40 starts at second base this season, could also be a possible trade piece. He has always been regarded as a Top 20 Cardinals prospect as a third baseman. He made his MLB debut May 5 and is batting .228 with nine homers and 22 RBI.
The Nationals might also be interested in left-handed pitcher Matthew Liberatore, 22, who made his MLB debut earlier this season. Whether St. Louis is willing to part with him could play a factor in it landing Soto.
Other Teams In the Mix
The San Diego Padres have a Top 5 prospect in shortstop Jackson Merrill, 19, who is slashing .280/.339/.383 with nine extra-base hits over 31 games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
The Padres have three other MLB-ready players in 20-year-old outfielder Robert Hassell III, 23-year-old catcher Luis Campusano and 22-year-old infielder Eguy Rosarios.
The Dodgers have three top prospects in their farm system that rank among the Top 70. Bobby Miller, a 23-year-old right-handed starting pitcher, is their top prospect, and he ranks 26th overall. Given the pitching depth that the Dodgers have, Miller could be a solid trade asset.
There is 24-year-old 2B/1B Michael Busch, who is MLB-ready and has plus power to all fields. He compares well to Max Muncy but is regarded by scouts to be a better pure hitter.
Miguel Vargas, a 22-year-old 3B/2B/1B, has elite bat-to-ball skills and can hit to all fields with power. At the Triple-A level, playing for the Oklahoma City Dodgers, he hit .292 with 22 doubles and 13 homers in 410 at-bats.
For pizza money bets ($10 to $25) I have bet on the Cardinals at +700 and the Dodgers at +550 at PointsBet.
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