By Tim Britton, Grant Brisbee and Stephen J. Nesbitt
The commerce
Yankees get: Juan Soto, OF, Trent Grisham, OF
Padres get: Michael King, RHP; Drew Thorpe, RHP; Jhony Brito, RHP; Randy Vásquez, RHP; and Kyle Higashioka, C
Tim Britton: Each group would get higher if it added Juan Soto. However possibly no group wanted Soto greater than the Yankees.
That’s not only for narrative causes — although countering your worst season in three many years by including one of many sport’s best hitters does assist in that regard. However in 2023, solely two groups noticed worse manufacturing from their left-handed hitters than the Yankees. It maybe follows that just one group handed fewer plate appearances to lefties than New York. What’s unhealthy for any group is particularly egregious for one which performs in a ballpark crafted to cater to southpaw sluggers.
The Yankees ranked twenty sixth within the majors in OPS from their outfield, and that’s regardless of the presence of Aaron Decide. Take away him from the calculation, and New York’s outfielders slashed .214/.276/.360 for a .636 OPS. So sure, even when it prices you a superb pitching prospect and a promising big-league arm, you do what it takes so as to add Soto’s profession .946 OPS to that group. You add his otherworldly eye, energy that may play up within the Bronx and the flexibility he brings to a lineup that had grown staid over the past a number of years. It’s Juan Soto.
For San Diego, a part of buying and selling for Soto after they did was understanding, if issues went south, they may all the time attempt to recoup among the prospect value by shifting him forward of free company. They received an NLCS look out of the commerce and a few legit expertise again, however, nicely, issues have gone south financially. It’s exhausting to spin buying and selling Soto as a optimistic.
Yankees grade: APadres grade: C
Grant Brisbee: Juan Soto is on a Corridor of Fame path. Verify that, he’s on a path to being an inner-circle Corridor of Famer, in there with the best of the good. If you wish to push again on that, do not forget that the dude simply turned 25. Twenty-five years ollllllld. There are 4 gamers who’re 25 or older on MLB’s top-100 prospect listing.
This isn’t only a curiosity, although. For those who’re somebody who’s hitting free company within the prime of a really, very particular profession, wouldn’t you need 10 months the place you’re the solely group in baseball that may discuss to him about an extension? That’s not simply planting the seeds, however it’s watering them and placing them beneath a halogen lamp. Individuals will groan as a result of the Yankees are giving up a whole lot of expertise for a one-year rental, particularly relating to major-league manufacturing in 2024, however it’s not simply that. It’s a trial run. See how welcoming Yankees followers are? See how completely the quick porch in proper helps you? Wouldn’t you want to hang around right here for 14 extra years?
My solely quibble with the Yankees going all in for Soto is that it forces Aaron Decide to heart discipline, which isn’t perfect for a big 30-something coming off a toe harm, however that’s extra Alex Verdugo’s fault, actually. Juan Soto is on the Yankees. That’s one thing to have fun.
Juan Soto isn’t on the Padres. I get why, however that doesn’t imply it isn’t miserable. They wanted arms to make up for the a number of that they’re shedding in free company, and they should lower payroll as a result of it seems they’ve been on a spender bender, and it wasn’t sustainable.
That doesn’t imply it doesn’t suck. They’re shedding a man who performed 162 video games for them final 12 months and put up a .410 on-base proportion, .930 OPS and 158 OPS+. They should change pitchers, sure, however how do you change that? They nonetheless have a whole lot of nice gamers, however they had been already beneath the league common in runs scored per recreation. Shedding 162 video games of on-base wizardry goes to be almost unattainable to make up.
Michael King will assist the Padres pitching employees instantly. (Eric Canha / USA TODAY)
There’s expertise coming again, to be clear. Michael King will assist instantly. Drew Thorpe appears to be like like a quick mover. Randy Vásquez had a shiny ERA within the majors and a dusty FIP, and he struggled along with his management within the minors, however he ought to assist sooner or later within the close to future.
There’s a whole lot of hope going the opposite means, although, so it’s a tough deal to like from the Padres’ perspective.
Yankees: A+Padres: C+
Stephen J. Nesbitt: The final left-handed (or change) hitters with a .400 OBP throughout a full season for the Yankees are Jorge Posada, Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu. It’s been 16 years since any of them final did it.
And the final Yankees lefties with a 140 OPS+ throughout a full season are Robinson Canó, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira. It’s been a decade since any of them final did it.
Soto has by no means had a sub-.400 OBP or 140 OPS+ season. Not within the majors. Not within the minors. In all probability not as a sweet-swingin’ child again in Santo Domingo, both! In right now’s recreation, Soto is in a category of his personal as a hitter. Plus eye, plus contact, plus energy. He has a World Sequence ring, a Residence Run Derby trophy, a batting title, but he appears to be like most proud when he’s spitting on a ball an inch off the plate. His experience meshes fantastically with the Yanks’ biggest want. Soto will spend 2024 spraying baseballs round Yankee Stadium and parking them on the quick porch, becoming a member of forces with Decide to kind a supreme one-two punch of energy and endurance.
Grisham doesn’t transfer the needle offensively, however he provides the Yankees a fourth outfielder who can play heart as they await the return of Jasson Dominguez.
The following query, after all, is whether or not one season is all they’ll get collectively. If that’s it, the Yankees had higher make it rely. Their first order of enterprise is to strengthen the remainder of the roster — beginning with the rotation that simply misplaced a bunch of depth on this commerce — after which flip their consideration towards whether or not they can hold Soto within the Bronx long-term.
For the Padres, the return is the return. It’s positive, for those who’ve come to simply accept the place that the Padres should transfer Soto and his projected $33 million wage before later. But it surely’s not bowling you over. Michael King has regarded actually good at occasions, and even higher these days, however he’s additionally 28, two years from free company, and he’s but to hold a full starter’s workload within the majors. Thorpe, a 2022 second-rounder, is a promising prospect with vital upside as a starter. He’s coming off an excellent season — a 2.52 ERA between Excessive A and Double A — and was named MLB Pipeline’s Pitching Prospect of the 12 months. Nonetheless, the Padres aren’t bringing in any can’t-miss guys right here. The one certain factor right here is the man going the opposite means.
Earlier than the commerce, the Padres’ projected 2024 rotation featured Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove after which a steep drop-off. Between King, Thorpe, Brito and Vazquez they’ll patch up the again of their rotation for subsequent season and fortify issues for the longer term. That would work out nice. However usually you’re not going to ship out a Soto-sized bat and are available away trying like a winner.
Yankees: APadres: B-
(Prime picture: Ezra Shaw / Getty Photographs)
