The Juan Soto news has left Major League Baseball in shambles. The Washington Nationals could look to trade their 23-year-old superstar before the trade deadline after he turned down the most lucrative deal in league history.
There’s no denying that Soto is a unique talent. All teams would die to have a player like him to build around for the next 15+ years, and that’s why he believes he could get even more money in the open market.
Needless to say, the usual suspects like New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgersand Boston Red Sox have already been tied to the Dominican. But what about those teams flying under the radar? Let’s talk about them.
MLB Rumors: 3 Dark Horse Teams That Could Trade For Juan Soto
3. San Diego Padres
A new star in Petco Park- Getty Images
The San Diego Padres have been actively looking for outfield help and a lefty, and Soto checks all the boxes. They want to keep up with the Dodgers in the NL Westand have proven that they won’t mind breaking the bank to lure more talent to Petco Park.
The Padres have plenty of appealing prospects and could even add young star MacKenzie Gore to any potential trade. They wouldn’t need to extend Soto right away, and he’d sure love to team up with fellow Dominican star Fernando Tatis Jr. for years to come.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
Blue Jays keep on building- Getty Images
The Toronto Blue Jays made plenty of moves in the offseason because they believe they can compete right away. And even thoughthose moves haven’t paid off thus far, they still have a promising, up-and-coming roster that can be a perennial World Series contender.
Adding Soto to an offense also featuring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. andBo Bichette will make them a team to look up for years to come. They need a left-handed hitter and could send away Lourdes Gurriel, Teoscar Hernandez, and multiple prospects to get him.
1. Seattle Mariners
Mariners shock the world – Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners have put together a promising squad, with young star Julio Rodriguez showing glimpses of greatness already. They have a young starting rotation and are way ahead of schedule in terms of their rebuild.
The Mariners want to put an end to their postseason drought and have plenty of cash to spare to extend Soto. Also, they could offer the best trade package centered around Kyle Lewis,George Kirby, and maybe evenJarred Kelenic.
