Juan Soto Rumors: Padres GM Working to Hold On To All-Star Outfielder

San Diego has a big decision on their hands here.

After the frustrating season that the San Diego Padres just put together, it always felt like something needed to be done this offseason to rectify things. First, they let former manager Bob Melvin head to the division rival San Francisco Giants, and now the approach to how they’ve built their team may be in question.

San Diego went all-in on the 2023 season, and it backfired on them. Now, it has been heavily reported that the team is looking to shed salary for next season and beyond. The ownership likely doesn’t want to spend like crazy right now, given the poor results from the year.

This has led many to believe that the team will be very open to trading away star outfielder Juan Soto this winter. He is entering the final season of his contract, and the team may not be willing to shell out the kind of money needed to retain him long-term.

But it seems that President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller wants to hold onto Soto for now. MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that Preller is trying to allow ownership to keep him for now.

“Padres GM AJ Preller is trying to persuade ownership to keep Juan Soto until at least the trade deadline, but teams continue to inquire, believing he will be moved this winter.”

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today

Soto remains one of the elite players in the game today, so naturally the Padres should want him on their roster. But the team already has a ton of money lined up for other players on long-term deals, so the Padres may have to let him walk.

His value will never be as high as it is right now so that alone could see San Diego moving on from him this winter. If they keep him into the year, they run the risk of him having a down year to start or an injury.

San Diego has a big decision on their hands and one that could shape their entire offseason. This is one of the more closely watched situations across the league, and everyone is waiting to see what the Padres do with their star player.