Padres News: MLB Insider Says Juan Soto Trade Could Happen By End of Winter Meetings

Things could move very quickly.

San Diego Padres star outfielder Juan Soto has been the talk of the offseason, other than two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani of course, and the team has to decide what they want to do with him. They have been thought to be looking into moving him this winter to shed salary and get back a return since he is entering the final year of his contract.

MLB insider Jon Morosi broke down what happens next with the Padres, and discussed when a potential Juan Soto deal could take place.

“I do believe the market for Soto is robust, and there are enough teams out there that I think a trade is not only possible, it’s possible before the Winter Meetings are over,” Morosi said Wednesday on MLB Network. “Now, it is only a one-year scenario, and that can have a way of tempering the value in the marketplace, but we’re still talking about one of the best offensive players in the game.”

Per Jon Morosi via MLB.com

It seems that things could develop very quickly either right before, during or after the winter meetings. Teams want to get themselves set up, so a trade for Soto makes sense to happen then.

The Padres themselves likely want to come to a solution regarding the Soto situation, if anything so that they could move on with their offseason. They have more work to do than just figuring out what to do with Soto.

The team is entering a crucial offseason that could see them lose multiple starting pitchers, so they will need to replenish the production. Maybe they get some pitching back in any Soto deal, which could help everything.

Either way, the team has things to figure out, and they want it done sooner rather than later. Soto's days as a member of the Padres could be numbered, and it'll be interesting to watch this all play out.