After an intense week of negotiations, the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres were able to come to an agreement on a trade involving OF Juan Soto. The Yankees will acquire Soto and Trent Grisham with Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Michael King, Drew Thorpe, and Randy Vasquez going back to San Diego. The deal was first reported by YES Network’s Jack Curry and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, it has since been confirmed by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
Juan Soto trade agreement is being finalized now, source confirms.
The deal, as @JackCurryYES and @Joelsherman1 reported, sends Soto and Trent Grisham to New York for Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez, and Kyle Higashioka. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 6, 2023
The 25-year-old slugger will now join a Yankees’ outfield featuring Aaron Judge and the recently acquired Alex Verdugo. The Judge-Soto combo will bring a combined 417 dingers to the homer haven that is Yankee Stadium. That’s a TON of power from both sides of the plate. Grisham, a throw-in, will provide solid defense and some pop if he stays with the club.
Soto, who has played parts of six-seasons with the Washington Nationals and San Diego, is on the books for $23 million this season. It remains to be seen if the Friars are going to absorb any of his contract. Soto will become a free agent at the end of the 2024 MLB season. The four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, three-time All-Star, and National League Batting Champion is expected to demand a major contract in free agency.
As for the Padres, San Diego gets four major league level players in Brito, Higashioka, King, and Vasquez. Thorpe is the fifth ranked player in the Yankees farm system according to MLB Pipeline, the MLB’s official scouting service. The 23-year-old lefty went 14-2 with a 2.52 ERA, 182 K, and a 0.98 WHIP in his first professional season. The Yanks 2nd round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo pitched between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, respectively.
In the end, despite rumors of other clubs being involved in the talks, Soto to the Yankees was the trade that simply had to happen. Give both the Yankees and Padres credit, they stuck to their guns and got it done. Time will tell, but this trade could turn out to be a win-win for each organization.
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