Padres News: Likelihood of Another Juan Soto Trade Seems to be Rising

The upcoming free agent could be trade fodder if the Padres decide to sell.

Before the 2023 MLB season started, the prospect of trading Juan Soto at the Aug. 1 deadline would seem preposterous.

Soto, a key player on a budget-breaking roster full of championship-caliber talent, was an expensive get for the Padres, who parted ways with five of their top prospects as well as a veteran in Luke Voit.

However, as the Padres continue to stray from the conventional path to a World Series appearance, trading Soto could be a worthwhile investment for the Padres.

San Diego is fourth in the NL West, a full 11 games behind the first-place Diamondbacks and 8.5 behind the Giants in third. The Wild Card race hasn't treated the Padres much better as they currently sit 8.5 games out of contention, but that is to be expected when you have a 38-45 record.

Soto, who was named to the NL All Star squad on Sunday, has been solid this year, with a .277/.424/.502 slash line and 15 home runs. The 24-year-old slugger is sixth in NL MVP odds, according to Vegas Insider.

With his contract set to expire next season, there is no guarantee that Soto will remain in San Diego — especially if their season continues to be one of the biggest embarrassments in baseball. If the Padres determine by Aug. 1 that they will not, in fact, be earning an invitation to the postseason, trading Soto to a contending team would pay much better dividends than watching him walk away.

MLB insider Jon Heyman thinks it could be a possibility.

"It would be interesting to see if superstar Juan Soto could be considered for trade again. The Padres’ chances to re-sign him don’t seem especially promising."

In addition to Soto, the Padres have spent a significant amount of money on stars Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts. Re-signing Soto would likely result in a yearly salary of at least $40 million, something the Padres might not be willing to spend.

As they literally sold the farm to get Soto, it might be wise for San Diego to cut their losses and cash in on Soto's value while they still can.