MLB Rumors: Exec Says San Diego Padres Favorites to Land LA Trade Target

One executive thinks the Padres are the team most likely team to trade for Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto.

The MLB trade deadline is a little more than a week away, and all of the chatter has been about whether or not the Nationals will deal superstar outfielder Juan Soto. Plenty of teams have reportedly checked in on Soto, but one executive believes that Dodgers NL West rival, the San Diego Padres, are the most likely team to pull off a Soto blockbuster.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal provided the details in a recent article. 

"One executive, in assessing the Soto sweepstakes, said, 'I think San Diego is as likely as the other 28 teams combined. They have the players and they have Preller.'”

Padres GM A.J. Preller has never been afraid to make a deal, even if it costs San Diego significant prospect depth. Rosenthal was quick to note that the Padres have built their entire rotation via trades: Yu Darvish, Mike Clevinger, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove, and most recently, Sean Manaea.

"The Padres could put a package together for Soto from those players and others. The question of whether they should make such a deal is another matter. Adding the remainder of Soto’s $17.1 million salary would put them over the luxury-tax threshold for the second straight season. At some point, they will need to incorporate some of their young players to help balance their payroll."

The Padres are certainly a team to keep an eye on in the Juan Soto trade sweepstakes. The MLB trade deadline is on August 2nd, all trades must be completed by 3PM PT.