The Yankees just wrapped up a disappointing 82-80 season. One of New York’s offseason needs is supplementing the offense. We recently heard the San Diego Padres will be trimming payroll. And because of that, outfielder Juan Soto might become available.
Seems like a match made in heaven, right? New York could use another left-handed hitter to actually take advantage of the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. If the soon-to-be 25-year-old is signed to a long-term deal, he could do it for quite a while in the Bronx, too.
But what would it take for general manager Brian Cashman to swing a deal? That’s anyone’s guess at this point. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently shared a handful of realistic MLB offseason trades. His top hypothetical out of the eight mentioned? Soto getting traded to the Yankees.
Rymer’s trade proposal is as follows:
- Yankees receive Juan Soto
- Padres receive OF Spencer Jones and RHP Chase Hampton
I’ve spoken to a few Yankees fans about this proposal, including our own Josh Benjamin. The consensus is unanimous — they would do it in a heartbeat. However, they’d also want long-term extension negotiations to begin immediately.
Jones is the Yankees’ top prospect, according to MLB.com. He finished his year in Double-A and could make landfall in the Bronx by 2025. The outfielder posted a .780 OPS with 16 homers across two levels this past season. His potential appears to be through the roof, but as we’ve seen plenty of times, prospects — even elite ones — can be a crapshoot.
Hampton is tabbed as New York’s fourth-best prospect by MLB.com. Like Jones, he spent his year at two levels — Hudson Valley and Somerset. In 106.2 total innings, he posted a 3.63 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP and 145 strikeouts.
We all know Soto is a sure thing. Through his age-24 season, he’s already won a World Series and has established himself as one of MLB’s brightest offensive stars. Ultimately, I think it’d take more than this for the Yankees to acquire him. But if this is what San Diego wanted in exchange for Soto? It’s a no-brainer.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
