San Diego Padres slugger Juan Soto Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

New favorite emerging for Padres slugger Juan Soto

By David Korn | Last updated 12/3/23

It is almost a forgone conclusion that the San Diego Padres are going to trade superstar outfielder Juan Soto this offseason.

So far, it has seemed like the New York Yankees were the favorites to land Soto. However, trade talks between the Yankees and Padres have stalled.

SNY's Andy Martino reported that the Padres were asking for a haul highlighted by pitcher Michael King and pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, the No. 5 overall prospect in the Yankees system. The Yankees appear unwilling to offer King.

With the Padres and Yankees seemingly at an impasse, the Toronto Blue Jays have now emerged as the favorites to trade for Soto, according to Héctor Gómez of the Dominican Republic's Z101 Digital.

SOURCE: #BlueJays intensify talks with #Padres for Juan Soto.

The #BlueJays now emerge as the favorites to land Soto.

The #Yankees and #Padres negotiations are stalled due to the prospects package the #Padres are asking for. pic.twitter.com/ZWGknPrKlZ
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) December 2, 2023

Earlier in the offseason, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Blue Jays "want to do something big" this winter.

While they are rumored to be one of the frontrunners in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, trading for Soto – either instead of or in addition to signing Ohtani – would certainly be a significant move for Toronto.

Soto would immediately slot into left field for the Blue Jays and be a force in their already intimidating lineup. He would join All-Stars Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and George Springer to create one of the top offensive cores in baseball.

One roadblock to a potential Soto trade is that he is entering the final year of his contract and will be a free agent next offseason. Because there is no guarantee that Soto re-signs wherever he is traded to, teams are likely viewing him as a one-season rental and are far less likely to meet the Padres' asking price.

With the Winter Meetings beginning on Sunday in Nashville, there's a good chance that if Soto does end up getting traded, it will happen soon. And right now, it's looking like he could be heading north of the border.

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