If the Mets and Yankees think they can trade for Juan Soto without parting with their top prospect, they better think again.
The Amazins are very high on slugging catcher Francisco Alvarez. The Bombers don’t want to lose shortstop of the future Anthony Volpe. Could they make each young star off-limits and still swing a blockbuster deal for the Nationals star? A major league executive had a simple — and profane — answer when asked by The Post’s Joel Sherman.
“I called an executive, and I said — it was mainly about the Yankees and the Mets — I said, ‘What if they put Alvarez out or Volpe?’” Sherman said on “The Show” podcast.
“And he said that if he was (Nationals general manager) Mike Rizzo and somebody tried to pull someone out of a trade for Juan Soto, he would tell them, ‘Go f–k yourself,’ and hang up.”
Simple enough.
The Mets and Yankees are currently considered long-shots to land Soto if he is moved by the Aug. 2 trade deadline. The Nationals seem averse to moving him within the NL East. A deal with the Yankees may not be much more appealing to them. And the Cardinals and Padres appear better positioned to provide a massive haul of prospects and young big leaguers.
But if the local teams do get back in the mix over the next week — or this winter, if the Nationals hold onto Soto for the rest of the season — they have to put everyone on the table. Including Alvarez and Volpe. They are called prospects for a reason. Soto is a proven commodity on the verge of signing the biggest deal in history. He will be an MVP candidate for the next decade-plus. If you can get him, you do everything you can.
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
