It wasn’t too long ago that the Washington Nationals expressed that they had no intention of trading Juan Soto. After all, he is one of few legitimate “franchise” players in baseball.
Of course, they probably didn’t expect that he would be turning down the massive contract offer they made to him.
But as most BetOnline customers are well aware by now, he DID turn down their 15-year, $440 million offer. And now, they almost have no choice but to deal him away, the sooner the better. Jeez, they wouldn’t even fly him to the All-Star Game, which is standard procedure. That’s how upset they are.
But who will they make a trade with? Clearly it has to be a team that has enough in the way of minor league talent. Or young talent on the major league roster. Anything to make a package very attractive. And they will also have to have enough cash. Well, that is, if they expect to keep Soto longer than the time at which his current contract expires (2024).
And furthermore, the question here becomes not only who has the money, and who has the trade capital. It also involves the willingness to deal it away.
Who’s really motivated? And how motivated are they?
Here are the odds
BetOnline has a prop as to which team will ultimately wind up with the 23-year-old superstar:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| New York Mets | +400 |
| New York Yankees | +525 |
| San Francisco Giants | +550 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +600 |
| San Diego Padres | +700 |
| St.. Louis Cardinals | +700 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +700 |
| Seattle Mariners | +750 |
| Boston Red Sox | +1000 |
| Houston Astros | +1000 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1200 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +1200 |
| Chicago White Sox | +1600 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +1600 |
MLB Betting For the Mets, Money Talks
No one can question the motivation of the New York Mets. They have a $290 million payroll, and are aggressive. How aggressive? Well, a new category of the luxury tax actually had to be created, in the name of owner Steve Cohen.
It’s quite possible that Cohen would be willing to pull whatever strings he has to in order to make things happen. And thay may include the #2 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. That’s catcher Francisco Alvarez, who just started playing in Triple-A. Here, they’ll have to give something up to get something in return.
Yanks Have Shortstop Surplus, but Judge is a Problem
As for the Yankees, that may be a more interesting situation because Hal Steinbrenner isn’t as much of a free spender as Cohen has shown. And he has his own thing to work out with Aaron Judge, who is making $19 million, has a contract expiring after the season, and wants to get paid.
It has been suggested by some that acquiring Soto might supply some “insurance” for the team in the event Judge couldn’t be signed. And GM Brian Cashman could include a prize prospect like shortstop Anthony Volpe as the cornerstone for a deal. It becomes a matter of who else they could offer.
Other Teams? Look San Diego’s Way
The Giants, Dodgers and Blue Jays have a lot of money. But for whom would it be worth it? We say that especially if they had no assurances that Soto would be with them beyond 2024. The Padres have dropped in price (from +1200), because they seem more daring these days. After all, they did shell out $300 million for Manny Machado, and they have prospects.
MLB Betting Key factor – Picking Up Another Contract
Since there is little chance Soto will be around past 2024, let’s make an assumption. The Nats will go into a rebuild and cut payroll. And so we have a wild card entering the situation. That is the willingness of a trade partner to absorb the cost of a contract the Nets had committed to a pitcher. That pitcher could be Patrick Corbin, or it could be Stephen Strasburg.
Corbin has two years left on a deal paying $140 million over six years. Strasburg, a World Series MVP, has four years left on a deal paying an average of $35 million yearly. He has pitched 31-1/3 innings since 2019.
If some team came along and took that contract off the Nats’ hands, that would be a very big factor.
That’s why the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers are up near the top. They’ve got money to burn.
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