The Padres and Yankees are really going for it. I’m thinking we either need to make a big splash or stay put.
OH wait.. theres more:
Eric Hosmer is in Soto deal as @Joelsherman1 suggested
— Jon Heyman ( @JonHeyman ) August 2, 2022
I was actually thinking Hosmer was in the deal when Bell was included.
Not the worst thing for the Nats and probably a contract they can flip in the offseason or at the next deadline if they need to.
Pretty good return. Arguably 3 top 100 prospects if you include Abrams and Gore plus the number one pitcher signed in the Latin American market last year (Susana - $1.7 million bonus).
Probably not near Soto's actual worth, but the best that they could do.
If you can win your division and/or get the bye you have to go for it. But in the Padres case they just got an MVP-caliber player for two more seasons. Might not help them at all this year (division-wise).
The new format did not end up creating a ton of buyers, there are really only 7 NL teams, and teams like Boston and Baltimore are staying conservative in the AL. If you are merely a wild card contender harder to go big.
Will be interesting to see what Cardinals do now, or if the Brewers do anything more.
Darned Klentak, Almaraz, Jordan and Bonifay for not building us a farm system and for now tying our hands at the deadline.
Don't take Rube and Gillick and Wolever off the hook either!
Speaking of, have also seen some tweets that Moniak is available, but I assume merely as a small piece.
Would still be nice to see them throw Didi or even Kingery into a deal for $ reasons though I suppose Kingery might be in the mix next year (and doesn't take up 40-man space).
The return is good. Juan Soto is probably better than any possible return, but the Nats were over a barrel.
The universal top 100 guys are very good. Gore has been slow to develop but still has a high ceiling. Abrams has been a top 10 in baseball prospect and Hassell is close to that. Then you add the top arm in the Latin American market from last year and Wood, a $2.6 million overslot second round pick from last year and it is a really good return.
Give the Nats credit for going for young and high ceiling prospects and not major league ready other than Abrams. Hosmer's salary is easily handled because it goes down the $13 million the next 3 years which is a deal that is easily moved if they choose to.
As I've said before, if you trade a superstar, you are not going to get comparable value, period, plain and simple. If you get a package of prospects and one or two them turn out to be productive MLer's, you've probably done alright, all things considered.
If there's an outlier to that rule it's probably the 1998-99 Ken Griffey, Jr. trade which ended up benefiting the Mariners more than the Reds. The Mariners got 18.7 WAR out of the deal while the Reds only got 12.4.
The Padres are certainly doing all they can to accomplish something during this current window of opportunity. Remember Manny Machado has his opt out after next season and many think his heart has always been in the Bronx. Soto will become a FA the year after that.
Yea, this seems like a decent return on paper for Washington. The Padres are looking to catch the Dodgers, which is an awesome move. You also have to figure that they understand that Soto is likely a sure bet to test free agency, so this offseason will be a big one for them, too.
Gutsy deadline for the Friars
Haven't seen the Phillies mentioned specifically but Kuhl apparently drawing interest again (vs. getting extended by Rockies).
I sure wouldn't have believed it if you'd told me two months ago that the Phillies wouldn't need a reliever. But they obviously can't buy at the top of that market (Hader, Lopez setting those parameters) and not sure anything else would be an upgrade. If they get a a starter Falter or Sanchez become lefty pen guys (or if they get Thor, probably go on his days) and then hopefully Appel and/or Coonrod step in for Familia long-term.
OOO we have a wrinkle
San Diego #Padres 1B Eric Hosmer has NOT approved the trade to Washington. The #Nats are on his no-trade list. It remains to be seen if he changes his mind.
— Bob Nightengale ( @BNightengale ) August 2, 2022
Well with Trout's back issues, a former #1 overall would be a good replacement...................................................
I assume they need to negotiate a sweetner here. I imagine the Padres want him in the deal more than the Nats though, so if it fell apart then there are many ways to salvage a deal. Hosmer is not much worse than Bell. And his contract is backloaded so he does have trade value (limited of course). I think the Padres wanted to get rid of that AAV more than anything else. He just needs to go to a team where the AAV is less important (i.e. a non luxury tax team). The Nats are unlikely to have luxury tax concerns the next 3 years so were an ideal place to dump the AAV and salary.
Edit - lots of reporting that Hosmer declining the trade would not kill the deal. It is a 10 team no trade clause so they probably can easily move him for little return, picking up as much salary as they need to make the deal happen.
