Padres Rumors: Yankees and Juan Soto Trade Talks Being Held Up By Early Offseason Logistics

He's still here!

As the San Diego Padres piece together their offseason plan, the center of that puzzle looks to be Juan Soto. With rumors swirling that the front office is looking to cut payroll, questions have risen about whether or not the Friars can keep the outfielder in 2024.

Amidst the rumors, a report surfaced saying that the Padres and Yankees have had preliminary talks about sending Soto to the Bronx. In a conflicting report by Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, these talks have yet to even occur,

According to multiple sources inside the Yankees’ organization, talks between the Yankees and Padres regarding Soto’s potential availability have not yet happened. 



Chris Kirschner - The Athletic

Early talks do not necessarily mean all that much. They could involve a quick phone call just to see about a player's availability. Kirschner goes on to elaborate,

Those same sources said that doesn’t mean talks

won’t

eventually occur; they just have not begun. There could be a couple of reasons for this. On the Yankees’ side, the team is still in the process of formulating its offseason plan, which includes analyzing payroll, while the Padres are in the middle of a managerial search.

Chris Kirscner - The Athletic

Both these clubs are doing a bit of soul-searching this offseason. The Padres with the aforementioned managerial search and reports have come out that the Yankees are looking to change their analytical approach.

Rumors aside, a trade between these clubs does make sense. The Padres would not have to pay his estimated $33MM arbitration deal, and the Yankees get the young left power bat they desperately need.

If Juan Soto does end up on the trading block, the Yankees will certainly face stiff competition if they want to land the young superstar.