NL West

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.

There is reportedly some belief within Major League Baseball that the San Francisco Giants will be sellers ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, a rival executive believes they are "ready to sell" after losing eight of the past nine games since the All-Star break.

The Giants are still in the playoff race, four games out of the final National League Wild Card spot, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported they are now willing to listen to calls on their veteran players.

San Francisco had been in solid position before the break, but there is no question that the Giants are starting to fade and will need to turn things around quickly to get back in the thick of the playoff conversation.

At 49-51, the Giants are third in the NL West, 18.5 games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

In terms of the wild-card race, the Giants are 10.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves and 6.5 games behind the San Diego Padres, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility that they could make up the four-game gap between themselves and both the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.

The Giants missed the playoffs in four straight seasons from 2017 to 2020, but they nearly qualified with a 29-31 record during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.

That proved to be a launching pad for the team, as they went on to post the best record in baseball last season at 107-55.

Despite that, the Giants fell to the rival Dodgers in five games in the NL Division Series.

San Francisco was expected to be back in the mix this season, especially after the additions of a pair of All-Stars in starting pitcher Carlos Rodon and outfielder Joc Pederson in free agency.

The Giants have hit the skids lately, though, and it hasn't helped that they are in the same division as two of the NL's top teams in the Dodgers and Padres.

If the Giants do decide to abandon ship on playoff contention and sell off some of their assets, they have some players who would likely be of great interest to teams making a postseason push.

Both Rodon and Pederson could potentially move, as Rodon has a player option for next season and could become a free agent if he declines it, while Pederson deal expires at the end of the current campaign.

Feinsand specifically mentioned Pederson as someone who could interest the Atlanta Braves after he played a big role for them in their run to a World Series run last season.

Other key Giants players with the potential to become free agents after this season include first baseman Brandon Belt, third baseman Evan Longoria and utility man Wilmer Flores, all of whom are veteran bats capable of helping a winning team.

There have already been a few significant trades leading up to the deadline, but if the Giants declare themselves sellers, it could completely change the outlook of the trade market.

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.

As the Los Angeles Dodgers look for potential upgrades prior to Tuesday's trade deadline, Miami Marlins All-Star Garrett Cooper has popped up on their radar.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Dodgers "have been looking" at Cooper as a trade option.

Heyman did note teams in the Juan Soto market, including the Dodgers, may wait for a resolution to that situation before moving to other hitters.

Soto is certainly the biggest domino that could fall before the trade deadline. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday that "multiple executives" around MLB are unsure of what the Washington Nationals are planning to do.

One executive told Passan that Soto will be dealt because of the Nationals' ownership situation, with the Lerner family, which has owned the franchise since 2006, looking to sell the club.

"The Nationals currently are up for sale, and the notion that new ownership's first move would be to trade a future Hall of Famer in his early prime, the executive said, is problematic. Dealing Soto now, he said, would offer the new owner a clean slate," Passan wrote.

Heyman and Joel Sherman recently reported the St. Louis Cardinals are emerging as a potential front-runner for Soto, but six other teams are also mentioned as possible landing spots.

The Dodgers are among that group because they have a mix of young players and prospects to offer the Nationals, as well as the financial resources to give Soto a long-term contract extension.

Cooper isn't the same caliber of player as Soto, but he could be a positive addition to Los Angeles' lineup if a deal comes together. The 31-year-old is hitting .279/.347/.426 with seven homers and 40 RBI in 84 games this season.

The Dodgers can use an extra bat at designated hitter down the stretch. Edwin Rios is on the 60-day injured list with a hamstring issue. Max Muncy is having a disappointing season with a .612 OPS in 79 games.

Cooper is only making $2.5 million this season and has one more year of team control before being eligible for free agency. He's not a difference-maker like Soto, but the Dodgers already have a loaded roster and only need to make marginal improvements to solidify their standing as the World Series favorite in the National League.

Outfielder Druw Jones is going to start his professional career with the Arizona Diamondbacks after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.

There has been no shortage of hype around Jones, son of five-time MLB All-Star Andruw Jones, leading up to the draft.

MLB.com ranked the 18-year-old as the best prospect in this year's class with two plus-plus tools in his speed and defense.

Coming from the same genes as Andruw, who is one of the best defensive center fielders in MLB history and won 10 career Gold Gloves, Druw's defensive aptitude doesn't come as a surprise.

Even though Jones' offense at this point isn't at the same level as his defense, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic that he can become a good hitter in professional baseball.

As noted in MLB.com's scouting report:

"While Jones' right-handed swing is still somewhat of a work in progress, he understands it well, shows the ability to make adjustments and does damage against quality pitching. He already has plenty of bat speed and drives balls to the gaps, and as he fills out his 6'4" frame he should develop plus power. He's a plus-plus runner when he turns on the jets and is capable of beating out ground balls to the left side."

Jones does have a commitment to Vanderbilt, which could make him a difficult sign. The Diamondbacks clearly have confidence they will be able to lure him away from college based on drafting him at this spot.

The Athletic's Keith Law ranked Arizona's system No. 3 overall coming into the season, with one scout describing the group as not having "a great top 10, but it has one of the best top 50s of any other team in baseball."

That may have been underselling things a bit because Alek Thomas has played well enough since being called up on May 8 (.249/.301/.407 in 61 games). The Diamondbacks also include Corbin Carroll on the verge of reaching the big leagues.

Adding Jones to the mix will go a long way toward ensuring that Arizona's farm system brings in true star power, especially as many of the current top prospects start to graduate.

He will eventually join them in the big leagues as the Diamondbacks look to load up in an attempt to build a consistently dominant team capable of competing with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the National League West.

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.

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed star right fielder Mookie Betts on the injured list with a fractured rib over a week ago, but the team is hopeful he will return next month.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Wednesday that he is "very optimistic" about Betts returning to the lineup before the All-Star break in July. However, he might first return as the team's designated hitter because "throwing has been more bothersome for him than swinging," per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

Betts was initially supposed to resume baseball activities on June 26, but his condition hadn't improved enough since suffering the rib fracture in a collision with Cody Bellinger on June 15, Roberts told reporters earlier this week.

The 29-year-old told reporters earlier this month that he's not frustrated by his latest ailment.

"It’s not disappointing at all. That’s kind of part of," Betts said. "It’s kind of like a freak accident. I’m out for a couple weeks and I’ll be able to be back and still help the team win. So I’m not disappointed by it."

After struggling with a hip ailment during the 2021 campaign, Betts had remained mostly healthy this season and was playing well. Through 60 games, the five-time All-Star is hitting .273/.349/.535 with 17 home runs and 40 RBI in addition to six stolen bases.

With Betts likely slated to return as the Dodgers DH, it'll be interesting to see how Roberts decides to roll out his lineup, as Max Muncy and Justin Turner are primarily used in the position.

Muncy is used more than Turner as the team's DH and could shift to first base, but that seems unlikely with Freddie Freeman manning the position. Muncy does have experience playing second base as well. Turner serves as the team's starting third baseman but has also seen time at DH.

Not much will change in right field as Chris Taylor and Eddy Alvarez have seen time filling in for Betts.

The Dodgers are currently first in the NL West with a 45-28 record, just one game ahead of the Padres. They'll need Betts fully healthy in order to compete for the division crown.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts has landed on the injured list with a rib injury.

Manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Saturday that an MRI revealed Betts has a cracked rib.

Roberts added the team isn't sure of the size of the crack at this point, and there is no timetable for Betts to return.

The Dodgers skipper said on Thursday that Betts was originally injured in a collision with Cody Bellinger during Wednesday's win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Betts is hitting .273 (.884 OPS) with 17 home runs, 40 RBI and 53 runs this season. He has missed their past two games against the Cleveland Guardians, including Saturday's 7-1 win. The Dodgers have a 7-8 record so far in June, falling 1.5 games behind the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

He played his first six seasons with the Boston Red Sox, making four All-Star teams and winning the American League MVP and the World Series in 2018. He emerged as one of the game's best and brightest stars while leading one of MLB's best 21st-century teams to a win at the Fall Classic.

However, the Red Sox traded the eight-year MLB veteran and pitcher David Price to the Dodgers following the 2019 campaign in what amounted to a cost-cutting move.

Betts' first season in L.A. (2020) ended with the Dodgers' first World Series victory since 1988. He excelled in the playoffs, notably hitting .429 in the Wild Card Round vs. the Milwaukee Brewers and smacking a pair of home runs against the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series.

Unfortunately, the 2021 season was an off-year for Betts, who hit .264 (.854 OPS) with 23 home runs and 58 RBI in 122 games. Betts had a .981 OPS from 2018-2020.

His hip was a persistent problem, and he landed on the injured list on July 25 with right hip inflammation, per Megan Garcia of MLB.com. He soon returned but went on the injured list with right hip inflammation retroactive to Aug. 8. Betts eventually returned to the lineup on Aug. 26.

This season has been more fruitful for Betts, but he will now have to miss time. Chris Taylor and Eddy Alvarez have filled in as the starting right fielder in the past two games with Betts unavailable. They will likely continue in that role for the time being.