MLB Insider Reveals What Nationals Would Want From Yankees in Juan Soto Trade

New York is one of the few teams that have the prospects and the money to pull off this blockbuster deal to acquire one of the game's best young players.

Count the Yankees in for the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

New York will be one of the many teams that explore trading for Nationals superstar outfielder Juan Soto, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Saturday that Soto recently turned down a monster extension offer from Washington. The Nationals are now planning to entertain trade offers for Soto, per Rosenthal.

On paper, Heyman's report might not seem like a noteworthy update. Every team should consider what it would take to acquire Soto. Players of his caliber, at his age, don't become available very often. Virtually every club, regardless of their relevance as a contender or their pay roll, can theoretically make this happen.

Still, even with the Yankees' deep pockets and their big-market reputation, a Soto trade isn't a slam dunk. New York would need to include prospects that are poised to play a key role in pinstripes for years to come and the Yankees must consider the financial repercussions of adding a player like Soto—who just turned down a $440 million contract—when Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole and many more need their checks signed as well.

Soto won't be a free agent until 2025. The 23-year-old is destined to sign a record-breaking contract down the road, recognizing his value as a generational talent. Until then, he'll receive a lofty salary over his final two years of arbitration, earning over $17 million for this year. 

According to Heyman, the Nationals are expected to request a combination of the following for Soto leading up to the trade deadline on August 2:

• A team's top four prospects
• Young Major Leaguers
• Willingness to take on Patrick Corbin's contract

For Soto, even that doesn't feel like enough. 

What would that look like for the Yankees? 

New York's highest-ranked prospects are as follows (per MLB Pipeline):

1. Anthony Volpe, SS
2. Oswald Peraza, SS
3. Jasson Domínguez, OF
4. Austin Wells, C

When looking at the Yankees' big-league roster, there really aren't too many players that would fit the timetable for the Nationals (they'd be descending into quite a rebuild if they do in fact part ways with Soto). Maybe Gleyber Torres? Then again, the second basemen only has two years of team control left after this season and Washington may end up dealing with a similar issue in keeping him around down the road. Would Clarke Schmidt, Jonathan Loáisiga or Luis Gil move the needle for the Nats?

That in mind, perhaps Washington would ask for more prospects while also requesting that the Yankees pick up the tab on Corbin's contract (or that of right-hander Stephen Strasburg).

Andy Martino of SNY predicted over the weekend that a package from the Yankees for Soto could include Volpe, Peraza, left-hander Ken Waldichuk (No. 5 prospect) and more. 

Former GM Jim Bowden added in an article at The Athletic on Wednesday that New York would need to include Volpe, Dominguez, Waldichuk plus a big leaguer or two (like reliever Michael King or Torres). If the package includes MLB talent, New York might want to counter with their next tier of prospects instead (like Peraza instead of Volpe or Wells instead of Dominguez), per Bowden.

Remember, the Nationals don't have to trade Soto. The closer he gets to free agency, however, the lower his value will be when it comes to a trade. If they don't think Soto will agree to an extension, after he turned down this latest 15-year mega deal, a trade seems like the best course of action for the future of the franchise. 

The Yankees and any other team that's interested in reeling in one of the game's biggest stars will have to decide soon if they're willing to sacrifice an unprecedented haul of prospects and spend a chunk of change to make a trade like this feasible. Only then can real negotiations take place.

There are a lot of questions that need to be answered with this type of franchise-altering decision, but the Yankees profile as a perfect landing spot for Soto. He'd have an ability to contend right away and every year going forward, he'd flourish at Yankee Stadium as a left-handed hitter with power to all fields, the fans would love him in the Bronx and the possibility for a record contract to keep him around for years to come is very much in play. 

Then again, can the Yankees proceed with both Judge and Soto? Besides, New York is reportedly unwilling to deal Volpe or Peraza in trade talks leading up to the deadline, a stance they've held dating back to last offseason. Would that change for someone like Soto?

Heyman gave the Yankees 20-1 odds to acquire Soto if he is traded, the fourth-best odds in the insider's speculation exercise behind the Rangers, Dodgers and Padres. 

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