Padres Should Silence All Juan Soto Trade Talks Before Deadline amid MLB Rumors

The San Diego Padres have poured asset after asset into building one of MLB's best rosters—on paper.

Yet, despite assembling such a star-studded group, they have been unable to gain any kind of traction this season. They've disappointed to the tune of a 49-54 record, leaving them 10 games back in the NL West race and 6.5 games out of a wild-card spot.

When a team underwhelms to this degree, dramatic changes can follow. Even still, the recent rumblings around the Friars may have dropped jaws across the baseball world.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Padres "are now listening" to trade offers for Juan Soto. Yes, that would be the same 24-year-old star outfielder whom San Diego acquired at last year's trade deadline for an exorbitant cost (the outgoing package included CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and top prospects James Wood and Robert Hassell III).

Reversing course on a commitment to Soto this soon would be senseless. Even if the Padres are simply doing their due diligence, they need to silence these talks immediately.

Soto's Star Is Still Ascending

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SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 25: Juan Soto #22 of the San Diego Padres points skyward after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates July 25, 2023 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

When the Padres plucked Soto away from the Washington Nationals last year, he was building a case as the best hitter in baseball.

He hasn't been quite that good in San Diego, but that's more of a testament to the level he reached in Washington than it is a critique of his Padres' tenure.

Soto started this season at a snail's pace (.202 batting average in March and April), yet he has still compiled a .262/.417/.501 slash line with 20 homers, 121 combined runs and RBI and an MLB-leading 95 walks in 103 games.

Have we mentioned he hasn't even celebrated his 25th birthday yet? Because that feels pretty pertinent to this discussion.

He is a star already—his vision is absurd (no one else has even 70 walks)—and he might still be getting better. If teams had the option of building around any player in the majors, there wouldn't be many selected ahead of him.

San Diego Can Keep Him for at Least One More Season

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DETROIT, MI - JULY 23: Juan Soto #22 of the San Diego Padres looks on while batting during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 23, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Padres 3 to 1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

While the price of Soto's next contract could be ridiculous—he turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract offer in 2022, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal—that shouldn't scare off San Diego one bit.

For starters, the Padres have hardly shown any hesitance to pay front-line money for front-line talent. This past offseason alone, they coughed up a cool $738 million to sign Xander Bogaerts and extend Manny Machado and Yu Darvish. Even if their struggles this season had them questioning their spending, unloading some of their other big-money contracts would be much more sensible than sacrificing Soto.

And San Diego doesn't even have to consider making that concession yet, since Soto is eligible for arbitration after this season and won't hit free agency until after 2024.

Could he be worth more at this trade deadline than next season's? In theory, sure, but given his age, ability and upside, he'd bring back a haul at any time.

The Padres Might Have a Run in Them Yet

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DETROIT, MI - JULY 21: Juan Soto #22 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 after hitting a two-run home run that drove in the pair against the Detroit Tigers during the third inning at Comerica Park on July 21, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

While consistency has hardy been this club's calling card—San Diego hasn't won more than three in a row all season—it isn't difficult to imagine its talent level winning out and ultimately righting the ship.

Yes, the Padres have underperformed, but not to the extent their record would indicate. They have a plus-51 run differential on the season; only four other teams—all with winning percentages north of .570—have topped that mark.

They haven't given up on salvaging this season. Heyman reported they "still hope to buy," which makes the idea of entertaining Soto offers all the more ludicrous.

Even if the stars don't align for San Diego this season, this team can always hope for better fortune in the 2024 campaign. Many of its key contributors are signed for the long haul, and the Padres should be doing everything they can to keep Soto as long as possible.

No matter what kind of project he'd bring back in a trade, it's hard to imagine San Diego finding a better cornerstone combo than the 24-year-old tandem of Soto and Fernando Tatís Jr.