San Diego Padres

As the Washington Nationals continue to decide if they are going to trade Juan Soto, we now have some idea of what the San Diego Padres will be willing to deal for the two-time All-Star.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Padres are willing to discuss C.J. Abrams, Adrian Morejón and top prospect Robert Hassell III in talks for Soto.

The Nationals haven't completely given up hope on retaining Soto leading up to the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Per Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital, Washington intends to make one more contract offer to Soto. If he doesn't accept, the 23-year-old "will be traded before the deadline."

Gomez noted the Nationals haven't accepted San Diego's trade proposal because they are seeking "an additional important prospect" in the offer, as well as the four currently being talked about.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Fox Sports reported Saturday that the Padres and St. Louis Cardinals are the "perceived front-runners" to acquire Soto.

According to Rosenthal, there are people in MLB who believe Padres general manager A.J. Preller "will do anything" to get Soto.

Preller has made several aggressive moves in recent years to help San Diego return to prominence in the National League. He gave Manny Machado a 10-year, $300 million contract as a free agent in February 2019.

The Padres traded for Mike Clevinger during the 2020 season and Yu Darvish in December 2020.

Those deals haven't completely drained San Diego's farm system, which MLB.com ranked as the 17th-best in MLB coming into the season.

Abrams was the team's top prospect at the start of 2022. He's graduated as a prospect with 134 plate appearances in the big leagues, but his first exposure to the top level of baseball has been a struggle. The 21-year-old has a .231/.280/.322 slash line with two homers and 11 RBI.

While it's hard to make any sweeping conclusions about Abrams' career after a small sample size, these initial struggles could be cause for concern if he is going to headline a deal.

Morejón is slowly returning to form after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2021. The 23-year-old has a 3.00 ERA with eight strikeouts in nine innings over six appearances since making his 2022 debut on June 7.

Hassell is the No. 21 prospect in the sport, per MLB.com. The No. 8 pick in the 2020 draft is hitting .303/.384/.463 with nine homers, 52 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 73 games with the High-A Ft. Wayne Tincaps.

The Padres are likely fighting for a wild-card spot this season. They entered Saturday trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 12 games in the National League West.

San Diego (56-45) does have a 2-game lead over the Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies as the No. 2 wild card in the NL.

Adding Soto would almost certainly increase the Padres' chances of securing one of the three NL wild card spots. They would also close the gap on the Dodgers, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves as the best team in the NL.

Soto is hitting .243/.399/.478 with 20 homers, 45 RBI and an MLB-high 84 walks in 98 games this season.

While the San Diego Padres continue to be in talks for Juan Soto, they are also looking at potential alternatives ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, the Padres are having discussions with the Chicago Cubs about All-Star catcher Willson Contreras.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune noted the Padres currently have "a lot of things going on" leading up to the trade deadline.

Soto is the biggest domino that could fall before Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital noted the Washington Nationals plan to make one more attempt at signing their 23-year-old superstar to an extension, and if no deal is reached, "he will be traded before the deadline."

The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported Friday that there are "strong indications" San Diego and the St. Louis Cardinals are the leading candidates to acquire Soto.

Contreras seems like he will be easier to get in a deal at this point. The 30-year-old essentially said goodbye to the Chicago fans in his final at-bat during Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. (The Cubs began a seven-game road trip Thursday that will finish two days after the trade deadline.)

The Cubs appear to have put a high price on Contreras in a trade despite seemingly having little leverage at this point. Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted that the New York Mets are also in on the veteran catcher, but the price is "still higher than they'd like."

Contreras, who can become a free agent at the end of this season, could be one of the most impactful hitters dealt prior to the deadline if he gets moved. The Venezuela native has a .252/.369/.460 slash line with 14 homers in 309 at-bats.

The Padres (56-45) are currently in the second wild-card spot in the National League. They lead the Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies by 2.5 games for the final playoff berth.

The Juan Soto sweepstakes is down to just four teams, according to Jim Bowden of CBS Sports, who noted the process is "moving along at a rapid pace."

The San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals are believed to be the front-runners for the Washington Nationals star, Bowden added. However, he noted that is "subject to change as any of the four teams still in the mix could improve their offers at any moment."

The news comes after ESPN's Jeff Passan said Friday on the Dan Patrick Show that he believes there's an 80 percent chance Soto will be moved ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

However, Passan noted that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, who is asking for "125 percent of Juan Soto's value," needs to lower his asking price, otherwise he's unsure if Soto will get moved "for now."

In addition, Passan mentioned the Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers as the "likeliest landing spots" if Rizzo drops the asking price. He also listed the Cardinals and Seattle Mariners as potential destinations.

The Nationals began taking trade calls on Soto after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. However, he is under team control through 2024 with two more years of arbitration eligibility, so Washington can wait for the best deal to move him, whether that be now or two years from now.

Soto is one of the best young talents in baseball and is expected to become one of the highest-paid players in the sport on his next contract.

The 23-year-old is having a solid 2022 campaign, hitting .243/.400/.480 with 20 home runs, 45 RBI and five stolen bases in 97 games. He was also named an All-Star for the second straight season and won this year's Home Run Derby.

Beyond that, he is a World Series champion, two-time Silver Slugger and won the batting title in 2020.

Any team that's interested in Soto must also be willing to take on starting pitcher Patrick Corbin in a trade package, per Bowden. The Nationals want "multiple major leaguers and top prospects" and to "offload" the remainder of Corbin's six-year, $140 million deal.

The Padres have been linked as a possible destination for Soto since it was reported that the Nationals were fielding offers for the star outfielder. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Friars are interested in pairing him with star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.

"An early favorite for Soto just might be the San Diego Padres, the former 'small' market team that’s been full of surprises and thrills the past few years under GM A.J. Preller, a young man who knows the game and loves a gamble," Heyman wrote.

San Diego hasn't been shy about acquiring star talent to help it pursue a World Series title—Eric Hosmer, Manny Machado and Mike Clevinger, to name a few—so it would be no surprise to see it land Soto.

As for the Cardinals, bringing in Soto would undoubtedly give the team an upper hand on the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central race and help it make a deep playoff run. Adding him to a lineup that includes sluggers Paul Goldschmidt (.335/.417/.619) and Nolan Arenado (.296/.359/.528) could be dangerous.

Major League Baseball's August 2 trade deadline is nearly here, and Juan Soto remains available.

Soto is unquestionably the biggest name on the trade block and the sort of young, rising star who doesn't land there often. The 23-year-old won this year's Home Run Derby, won the NL batting title in 2020 and won a World Series ring in 2019.

However, the Washington Nationals are stuck in the NL basement and looking to jump-start their latest rebuild. The Athletic's Jim Bowden, reported last week that the Nationals could potentially land an unprecedented haul:

"They have made it clear they will make a trade only if it positively impacts their organization in both the long term and short term. In return for Soto, the Nationals want multiple major leaguers and top prospects but also to offload the bad contract of pitcher Patrick Corbin, according to sources."

The New York Yankees—who are rarely afraid to spend big for top talent—have been linked to Soto. According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, however, New York isn't considered one of the favorites:

Instead, the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres appear to be the leaders in the Soto race. Soto landing in L.A. wouldn't be a shock. Like the Yankees, the Dodgers have been more than willing to spend—they already lead the league in 2022 payroll, according to Spotrac.

However, it could be the rival Padres who actually have the edge in landing Soto. At least, that's the latest from ESPN's Buster Olney:

While Soto landing in San Diego might not excite casual fans quite like a move to New York or L.A., it could add some major intrigue to the playoff race. San Diego is vying for a wild-card spot, but it has the pieces in place to be a dangerous club heading into the postseason.

The Padres sit at 10 games over .500 and have survived the absence of All-Star Fernando Tatis, Jr., who suffered a broken wrist in the offseason. Strong pitching has helped San Diego's cause tremendously. As of Thursday, the Padres ranked eighth in the majors with a collective ERA of 3.78.

Having Tatis, who batted .282 with 42 home runs last season, back in the lineup will help tremendously. Tatis returned to batting practice on Tuesday.

Adding Soto to a lineup that includes Tatis and Manny Machado would give San Diego a formidable offense for the stretch run. Machado has hit .299 with 54 RBI this season. Soto has hit .400 with 45 RBI and 20 home runs.

This theoretical trio would be tough to pitch around and should significantly boost the Padre's batting, which ranked 18th with a collective .240 average as of Thursday. Combining that with a quality pitching staff would make San Diego one of the more interesting NL teams over the next couple of months.

Would it be enough to catch the Dodgers in the division? Perhaps not, but it would make the Padres a club that no one wants to face in the playoffs. Acquiring Soto would also keep him away from Los Angeles, which would at least give the Padres a fighting chance in the NL West.

It would also keep Soto away from the Cardinals, who are on San Diego's heels for the second NL wild-card spot.

The Dodgers would almost certainly run away with the division with Soto on the roster and would become arguably the team to beat in the National League.

The big question is whether the Padres are willing to pay the price to make a trade and the price to keep Soto long-term. Soto recently rejected a 15-year, $440 million offer from Washington, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

The good news is that San Diego wouldn't necessarily have to commit a massive salary share to Soto right away. He's under team control through the 2024 season. If the Padres can pull off a Soto trade now, though, they could start dreaming about the World Series immediately.

As the Washington Nationals continue to field trade offers for star outfielder Juan Soto, discussions with one team have reportedly gained momentum.

MLB insider Hector Gomez reported Thursday that the San Diego Padres are "in serious talks" with the Nationals regarding a possible trade for Soto with negotiations having "intensified" since Wednesday night.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported earlier on Thursday that the Padres were viewed by rival executives as the frontrunners to acquire the two-time All-Star. San Diego has until the trade deadline of 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 2 to get a deal done with Washington, but there will be competition from other franchises.

Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported earlier this week that "at least a half-dozen teams" have reached out to the Nationals about Soto, and the St. Louis Cardinals were perceived as the favorites to land him. Heyman later stated that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers are also involved in the pursuit of the 23-year-old.

Whoever manages to complete a deal for Soto will likely end up paying a substantial price. MLB Network's Mark Feinsand reported Tuesday that he was informed a deal for Soto "is going to be the biggest package you've ever seen returned for a player." The Nationals are believe to be seeking multiple young prospects in order to build for the future.

The Padres have a strong crop of players they'd be able to offer in a trade. Per MLB.com, San Diego's top two prospects are center fielder Robert Hassell III and catcher Luis Campusano.

In the midst of the ongoing trade rumors, Soto has been quiet at the plate. Since returning from the All-Star break, he's gone 3-for-21 in six games with no homers and two RBI. He will have the chance to get right in Thursday's series opener against the Cardinals.

Juan Soto is available for trade after rejecting a 15-year, $440 million offer from the Washington Nationals, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, and at least one team is dreaming of possibly acquiring the superstar.

The San Diego Padres are interested in pairing Soto with star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

"An early favorite for Soto just might be the San Diego Padres, the former 'small' market team that’s been full of surprises and thrills the past few years under GM A.J. Preller, a young man who knows the game and loves a gamble," Heyman wrote.

The 23-year-old slugger will cost a huge package of prospects, draft picks and other pieces. Any team that wants him must also be open to the idea of potentially giving him a $500 million contract extension.

San Diego already has some pretty hefty contracts to pay and the fifth-highest payroll in baseball, according to Spotrac.

The team's two highest-paid players are Tatis, who is on a 14-year, $340 million deal, and Machado, who is on a 10-year, $300 million deal. Hosmer, meanwhile, is on an eight-year, $144 million deal, and Yu Darvish is on a six-year, $126 million contract.

Still, it's no surprise the Padres are at least thinking about the possibility of acquiring Soto.

The Dominican is one of the best players in the game and has a long, bright future ahead of him. He is a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, a batting title winner and a World Series winner.

This season, he's slashing .247/.405/.490 with 19 home runs, 42 RBI and five stolen bases in 89 games.

In addition, the Padres have never been shy about acquiring star players to help them in their pursuit of a World Series title. They've done so in the past by signing Eric Hosmer, Manny Machado, Mike Clevinger and many more.

San Diego is currently second in the NL West with a 51-41 record, 9.5 games behind the first-place Dodgers. Having Tatis return from injury and adding Soto to the lineup could help the club close that gap.

However, Soto is under team control through the 2024 campaign with two more seasons of arbitration eligibility, so the Nationals don't need to trade him this year if they don't get an offer they believe is worthy.

So, it could be a long wait until we see Soto moved unless the Padres, or another club, comes up with the right package.

San Diego Padres star Manny Machado left Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies after spraining his left ankle.

Machado slipped while stepping on first base after a first-inning groundout and immediately went down in obvious pain. He was helped off the field and replaced by Sergio Alcantara.

The team announced that X-rays on his ankle came back negative.

The third baseman has been red hot to start the 2022 campaign, hitting .329 through 65 games, with 12 home runs and 46 RBI.

Machado is also coming off a strong 2021 campaign during which he produced a .278/.347/.489 slash line with 28 homers and 106 RBI.

The 29-year-old initially joined San Diego on a 10-year, $300 million deal and has been worth the cost while contributing to the team's rise to contention in the National League.

Machado was especially impressive in 2020, hitting 16 home runs with 47 RBI in just 60 games while setting career highs with a .304 average and .950 OPS. It was enough to finish third in MVP voting for a team that had the third-best record in the majors.

The five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove award winner provides value both offensively and defensively along with much-needed experience to a team loaded with young talent.

Machado hasn't missed more than 10 games in a season since 2014 and has played every possible game three times in his career. Alcantara and Ha-Seong Kim are the only other Padres who have manned third base this season.

Robinson Cano is back with the San Diego Padres.

Eight days after the team released him, the Padres signed Cano to a minor league contract Friday.

"I think he wants to get some consistent at-bats and see what's there," Padres manager Bob Melvin said. "I talked to him for a little while, and he wasn't getting consistent at-bats in New York, he wasn't here. He loved being here with our guys. He fit in really well."

Cano has had a tough season. The 39-year-old was released by the New York Mets in May after he appeared in just 12 games, hitting .195 with one homer and three RBI. The Mets still owed him $44.7 million of the 10-year, $240 million deal he signed with the Seattle Mariners after the 2013 season.

The Padres signed him later in May, though he didn't fare better, hitting .091 with an RBI in 12 games. Per R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports, the Padres "requested Cano's permission to option him to the minors [June 2], but Cano had enough service time to reject any optional assignment and elect free agency instead."

Cano, an eight-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and a 2009 World Series champion, was one of the game's preeminent offensive second baseman during his prime, hitting 25 or more homers six times, including in five of his nine seasons with the New York Yankees.

He was suspended 80 games for a failed performance-enhancing drug test in 2018 while with the Mariners and the entirety of the 2021 season for another failed test while with the Mets.

A third failed test would lead to a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball.

Cano hasn't been an All-Star since 2017 and has appeared in only 260 games since the start of the 2018 season. Now, he'll try to make his way back to the big leagues.