Baseball America says SF Giants have the prospects to trade for Juan Soto
Even if the SF Giants are unable to find the superstar they want in free agency this offseason, they may be able to add a star via trade. In a recent analysis by Kyle Glaser over at Baseball America, the Giants are one of five teams in the league with the prospects to trade for San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto. The other teams were the Dodgers, Yankees, Mariners, and Phillies (Glaser noted that no one believes the Padres would trade Soto to the Dodgers). As the hot stove heats up and the Padres reportedly look to slash payroll, Soto continues to look like the best potential player who could be traded this offseason.
Padres LF Juan Soto runs the bases after hitting a homer against the SF Giants. (2023)
Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
"The Padres have three clear needs: starting pitching, first base and center field," Glaser wrote. "Any Soto trade that doesn’t fill one or more of those needs would not be practical for the organization, and likely would not be accepted by the team. Any potential trade partner would have to match the Padres needs and be willing to pay a high price, even with Soto only under team control for one more year. If they don’t, the Padres are content to simply keep him."
The Giants have those prospects. Glaser noted starting pitcher Kyle Harrison and outfielder Luis Matos as prospects that could anchor a trade for Soto alongside the massive collection of young pitching in the upper minors. Mason Black, Carson Whisenhunt, Hayden Birdsong, Keaton Winn, and Carson Seymour are just some of the pieces that could intrigue San Diego. Other young pieces like Patrick Bailey, Casey Schmitt, Marco Luciano, and Tristan Beck could intrigue San Diego as well, although it's hard to envision the Giants parting with Bailey.
It is clear that the Giants are in dire need of a consistent hitter. Soto slashed .275/.410/.519 during the 2023 season, with 35 home runs, 109 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and an MLB leading 132 walks. A hitter like Soto could help generate the offense the team needs. He was worth 5.3 WARP (Wins Above Replacement Player) and had a DRC+ (Deserved Runs Created Plus, the rate measure of a player’s batting performance based on fundamentals, not merely results) of 146. He tops hitting leaderboards in a lot of categories and has done so since his MLB debut. He's also still only 25.
The Giants could be on the verge of being a potential contender in 2024; they did that in 2023 before everything fell apart. Could a hitter like Soto help get the team there? It’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Is Farhan Zaidi willing to make that move? That could be one of the bigger questions here. The president of baseball operations is facing mounting pressure as the 107-win 2021 season moves further into the past.
Last offseason, the Giants lost out on the Aaron Judge sweepstakes and then there was the saga of Carlos Correa. Even with the Giants seemingly wanting to open up their pocketbooks for one of those hitters, San Francisco’s previous offseason could be summed up with a large womp womp sound. A repeat of that this offseason won’t be taken to kindly by the team's fanbase.
It almost is too logical — the SF Giants have what the Padres need, the Padres have what the Giants need. Between Zaidi’s past offseasons and perhaps an unwillingness to trade a superstar hitter in division, the probability might not be high, but the SF Giants have to try and acquire Juan Soto if he is made available.
