Breaking: Yankees Set to Trade Star For Padres Slugger Juan Soto
The New York Yankees are looking to land one of the best players in baseball this offseason.
New York has been linked to San Diego Padres superstar Juan Soto on multiple occasions this offseason and there’s a real possibility he lands with the Yankees this offseason. The Yankees and Padres reportedly even have discussed possible names in a trade already and one intriguing player who has been mentioned is outfielder Jasson Domínguez, according to the New York Post’s Christian Arnold.
“In fact, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported during his Bleacher Report show on Wednesday that the Yankees and Padres have talked about Soto, and names have been thrown around,” Arnold said. “Among those names that had been discussed were infielder Anthony Volpe, outfielder Jasson Domínguez, and pitcher Drew Thorpe. But Heyman reported that there is doubt that all three would end up being involved in a deal if the Yankees did decide to make a move to land Soto.”
Arnold also mentioned that Anthony Volpe and Drew Thorpe have been mentioned as trade candidates but Domínguez certainly is the most intriguing player to look out for. Domínguez made his big league debut with New York in 2023 and impressed before suffering an elbow injury and now will miss a chunk of the 2024 campaign. Arnold noted that a deal wouldn’t necessarily involve all three of Volpe, Thorpe, and Domínguez.
Soto is one of the best players in baseball so the Yankees certainly should pursue a deal, but he will be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season. If New York could get a deal done without Domínguez, that would be amazing — especially because Soto could be a rental. At this point, it’s too early to tell, but it’s something to look out for.
Yankees’ needs ahead of Winter Meetings
When Brian Cashman stood encircled by reporters at the General Managers Meetings in early November in Scottsdale, Ariz., squinting through aviator sunglasses and delivering a fiery defense of his baseball operations department, the longtime Yankees executive also offered an acknowledgment that talk is cheap. Only actions matter.
“The New York Yankees expect to win, which I’m proud to say and be part of an organization that’s that way,” Cashman said. “Our fan base not only deserves that type of winning, but our fan base expects that type of winning.
“They’re understandably pissed off when we don’t punch a ticket to get into the postseason and take a shot at the World Series title. Whatever we say as a franchise right now is not going to appease anybody. It’s about what we’re going to do to improve the roster and our situation going into the ’24 season.”
The Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., will provide a springboard for that activity. Cashman has performed some light housekeeping since the club’s most recent game in early October, hiring Brad Ausmus as bench coach and bringing James Rowson back to the organization as hitting coach. Now it is time to focus on the players.
Key events
Sunday: HOF Contemporary Era ballot results released (Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Jim Leyland, Ed Montague, Hank Peters, Lou Piniella, Joe West and Bill White)
Tuesday: Draft Lottery
Wednesday: Rule 5 Draft
Club needs
Cashman has said that he is in the market for two outfielders, preferably left-handed hitters who can play left and center field. The Yanks have spoken with the Padres about a trade for Juan Soto, and they are eyeing free agent Cody Bellinger. Kevin Kiermaier also could provide a top-flight glove.
On the pitching side, they are known to have strong interest in Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto and could also seek to upgrade the bullpen (Josh Hader, perhaps?) after moving Michael King into the rotation late during the 2023 season.
Though he’s one of the team’s better offensive players, Gleyber Torres is eligible for free agency after the 2024 season and has been rumored in trade talks for more than a year. The Yanks’ infield remains crowded; managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner has said that he envisions Oswald Peraza being part of the mix alongside Gold Glove shortstop Anthony Volpe, but an opportunity for regular playing time hasn’t yet materialized.
Prospects to know
Steinbrenner has said that he expects the Yankees to get younger in 2024. Switch-hitting outfielder Jasson Domínguez isn’t expected to return from Tommy John surgery until mid-summer, but catcher Austin Wells showed promise and could challenge Jose Trevino for playing time. Outfielder Everson Pereira, right-hander Clayton Beeter and righty Will Warren are also knocking on the door.
Rule 5 Draft
The Yankees protected Beeter and catcher Agustin Ramirez in advance of the Rule 5 Draft, but three of their Top 30 prospects are up for grabs. That group includes infielder Jared Serna (No. 20), right-hander Matt Sauer (No. 25) and left-hander Edgar Barclay (No. 28).
Burning question
After an 82-win season that Cashman bluntly characterized as a “disaster,” how will the Yankees restore confidence in the franchise’s direction? With money already having come off the payroll, a big offseason addition seems to be a swift way to correct a sour narrative. Signing Yamamoto would be a great start, but so could trading for Soto or inking Bellinger. Though Steinbrenner has said that a team shouldn’t need a $300 million payroll to contend for a championship, the Yankees have wielded their financial might as a weapon before. It might be time to do so again.
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