MLB Insider Says There's '100 Percent' Chance Padres Trade Juan Soto This Offseason

Should the Padres move on from Soto this winter?

While everyone in baseball is watching closely to see where free agent Shohei Ohtani signs this winter, the San Diego Padres are trying to figure out what to do with star outfielder Juan Soto. The team has been rumored to be looking to trade him this offseason, and it has gained much buzz in recent weeks.

Soto is entering the final year of his contract, and the Padres have been unwilling to pay him what it would take to retain him long-term. This has led many in the industry to believe that they will be moving him this winter, but there have been conflicting reports coming out as well.

Some say that the team will trade him, and some say that they will hold onto him entering the season. But one MLB insider believes that the Padres will move him no matter what this offseason.

Buster Olney of ESPN gave his thoughts on the Soto situation while appearing on The Michael Kay Show, and his comments were interesting, to say the least.

"Absolutely, 100% he's going to be traded before the season" - @Buster_ESPN on Juan Soto

— The Michael Kay Show (@TMKSESPN) November 10, 2023

If Olney is correct, then the Padres will get a nice haul back for their star player. Soto remains one of the better players in the game today, and there will be no shortage of suitors if he is placed on the trade market.

The team would need to find a way to replace the production of Soto, but they could use the pieces they get back for him to do that. San Diego has wanted to shed salary this offseason after a failed 2023 season that saw them go all-in with their payroll, and this is a major way to do that.

Trading Soto may sting, but it could end up being the best decision they can make for their long-term success. This is one possible route for the Padres to take this offseason, and it will be fascinating to watch play out.