Expert Believes Padres Superstar will be Traded in Favor of Shohei Ohtani

His poor 2023 start is not helping his case.

Juan Soto.. your time is starting to look very scarce. Even though it's barely going to be the first month of the 2023 MLB season wrapping up in a few days, habits are starting to show and a common theme ever since the middle of last season is that the 24-year-old superstar cannot hang in a Padres uniform.

His numbers continue to drop all across the board and trust me, everybody has been factoring in the pitch clock and the numerous injuries he sustained in the offseason. However, there has to be signs of improvement at some point and if you are a member of San Diego's front office, this is a risky situation to be in.

Both Trent Grisham and Jake Cronenworth have recorded more hits than him this season. He has a slash line of .198/.369/.383 and just has not looked like that star slugger we all came to know during his time with the Washington Nationals.

Juan Soto when he goes 0-3 lower his average to .180 but adds to his walk total pic.twitter.com/RX6Uo8tmjD

— Jason (@jason_w21) April 16, 2023

With that being said, USA Today's Bob Nightengale does not believe the Friars can realistically see his impact since he joined the squad as beneficial for their future and predicts he'll likely be trade bait for Shohei Ohtani at some point.

"He’s hitting a career-worst .192 with just seven extra-base hits this season, and has a slash line of .223/.381/.387 in 75 games with the Padres. Yes, he continues to draw walks, but is considered a below-average baserunner with one stolen base in the 75 games."

The Padres plan to be in heavy pursuit for free agent Shohei Ohtani, and if they land him, Soto could be the one traded, realizing they likely wouldn’t be able to meet his contract demands after already rejecting $440 million from the Nationals.

These storylines and rumors are only going to heat up as the season goes on and the trade deadline looms closer. Soto is four years younger than Ohtani but the recent production is not close at all. The Angels superstar also brings forth an elite pitching arsenal.

We are going to keep a VERY close eye on this.