Padres Rumors: Former Dodgers Outfielder a Potential Trade Target if Juan Soto is Traded

The hot stove is starting off silly.

As the MLB hot stove begins to warm up for the winter, the rumor meter is already starting to go off the chart. Of course, for the Padres, the biggest rumor for the upcoming offseason involves star outfielder Juan Soto. The organization is said to setting up for a sizeable shedding of payroll and one easy way to fall under budget would be to trade Soto and his projected $33 million for 2024.

If the Friars were to send Soto away in a haul for prospects, there would still be a glaring need for major league ready talent in the outfield. With that, one baseball analyst suggested an intriguing scenario to bring a former Dodgers outfielder to San Diego.

The outfield in San Diego is currently well-stocked, with superstars Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the corners and Trent Grisham getting the lion’s share of playing time in center. With that being said, rumors have already begun to percolate this offseason that the Padres could look to move Soto in trade this offseason in hopes of cutting payroll. If the club does move on from Soto, that would create a hole in left field that Verdugo could slide into nicely. Verdugo projects to make almost $24MM less than Soto in 2024, and while his bat is not nearly as valuable as Soto’s he provides significantly more defensive value and is a clearly capable everyday player in left, which the Padres would lack without Soto on the team. Of course, if the team doesn’t move on from Soto this offseason, San Diego would no longer be a fit for Verdugo’s services.

Verdugo has been a serviceable outfielder since the Dodgers sent him to Boston in the Mookie Betts trade before 2020. He's a far cry from the talent level of Juan Soto, but he'd still be an upgrade over one in the Padres' system as it stands.

The reality of this happening is slim. Some reports have recently said that AJ Preller might be more inclined to wait and see with any Soto trade. In that, if the club somehow falls out of contention before next year's deadline, they would be ready to sell high for the generational talent.

If Preller and the Padres are interested in former Dodgers, Cody Bellinger is set to re-enter the free agent market this winter and wouldn't cost any prospects to sign.