The MLB trade deadline is upon us once more and in this year’s market, one name stands out among the rest. Rarely do the stars align to allow a 23-year-old phenom with a championship ring under his belt to be made available to buyers looking to utilize the youngster’s entire prime years to fuel their run to a World Series. Yet, that’s precisely the situation Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto faces. After declining a 14-year, $440 million extension that would’ve made him baseball’s richest man, the Childish Bambino has been made available to the league with Washington looking to enter a full-fledged rebuild with Soto expected to return a prospect package never before seen in the league. With less than a week until the clock likely strikes midnight on Soto’s fate for the 2022 season, let’s look at where the superstar could find himself in the next week and what it would take to get him there should he be dealt.

Non factors

First, let’s get some teams out of the way. Oakland, Houston, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Colorado, Chicago (both), Anaheim, Detroit, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Baltimore are all non=factors in the Soto sweepstakes, with the main reasons residing in contention status, lack of quality prospects to deal, and/or inability to commit to a record-breaking extension when Soto hits free agency in 2024.

Can't count them out

Next, let’s analyze the clubs that can’t be straight-up counted out, but don’t make much sense to go all out for Soto.

Boston has shown in the past that they aren’t exactly eager to break open their checkbooks as can be seen in the trade of Mookie Betts in 2020 and the stalled negotiations between the team and franchise stars Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers. If they won’t pay their own homegrown stars, why would they pay Soto even more?

With baseball's deepest minor league system, Tampa certainly has the pieces to get Juan Soto to the sunshine state. However, this is the Rays. They are one of seven teams in the bigs this year with a payroll under $100 million. Big contracts simply are not given out by this front office which takes them all but out of this race.

Minnesota has been unable to pull away from the rest of the AL Central and a massive deal for Soto would surely be the kick in the butt the Twins need to run away with a division title. The problem with getting Soto to fill a gaping hole at DH though would be how long Soto could plug it. We saw Minnesota give just three years (with opt-outs) to Carlos Correa and with the kind of haul they’d have to give up, the Twins don’t seem to be eager to hand out the biggest contract in baseball history. Juan Soto is simply too valuable to be a rental in the Twin Cities.

The Rangers have been tossed around as a dark-horse team to watch for Soto but I don’t see the logic. They just gave out big paydays to Corey Seager and Marcus Semien last winter and the need for pitching in the Lone Star State is far more pressing than another huge bat. Especially when any deal would have to involve one of baseball’s most hyped prospects, pitcher Jack Leiter.

Like their in-state counterparts, the Marlins have a vast prospect pool that they could afford to drain for Soto. However, the in-division tax would be too costly for a noted seller. Miami is still a year away from true contention and if they were to go for Soto, it would make far more sense to do so in the offseason should he stay put.

As can be seen a year ago, the Atlanta Braves proved the right deadline moves can win the ultimate prize. But like the deals that brought the Commissioner’s Trophy to Atlanta in 2021, the Braves are better suited for depth moves rather than going all for Juan Soto at this deadline. This is one of the best lineups in baseball and with the increased cost it would take to pry Soto from a division rival, the Braves should be happy with their own outfield superstar in Ronald Acuña and look to run with what they’ve got in their repeat quest.

With the regression of Christian Yelich, a trade for Juan Soto could be a possible fix as the Milwaukee Brewers have to hit the market again for an impact bat. But considering how Yelich has turned out, I don’t see the small-market Brewers gutting their already below-average farm system to give big money to one bat when Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Josh Hader are all due hearty extensions in the coming years.

Keep a serious eye on...

Now onto the teams to keep a serious eye on in these next couple of days to steal Soto away from the group of favorites.

The Toronto Blue Jays have seemingly found their footing out of the All-Star Break, embarrassing Boston over the weekend and looking like the murderer's row of bats we expected in spring training. And with Juan Soto available, the opportunity has presented itself for Toronto to build possibly the most stacked lineup in the recent history of baseball. When you look at the required pieces needed for it to happen, it’s not very far-fetched either. Toronto has the centerpieces to make a package around MLB Pipeline’s #5 prospect C Gabriel Moreno, #35 Orelvis Martinez, and the high potential of Nate Pearson. They’ve only committed major money to George Springer and Kevin Gausman at this time and they currently lead the American League wild-card race. In a righty-heavy lineup, the sweetest lefty swing in the game would fit right in up north. What holds the bluebirds back though, is the trade value of Soto. The aforementioned group of names that could be dealt to Washington isn’t really on par with the type of returns the Nationals could get from the Dodgers, Padres, Mariners, or division-rival Yankees. Nonetheless, if Soto’s market isn’t as gargantuan as the league expects come Tuesday, watch out for Toronto to create an order of Springer-Bichette-Guerrero-Soto as they look to return to the World Series picture.

The Mets have been in the Soto conversation from pretty much the second he declined the extension from the Nationals. While nothing’s changed on Washington’s front, the Mets haven’t been waiting around as they continue to surge. New York has recently made some deals to bolster their depth in the acquisitions of Daniel Vogelbach and Tyler Naquin as left-handed bats. With Vogelbach being the DH against righties and Naquin serving as a fourth outfielder to platoon with Mark Canha, the spot for Soto on this team has seemingly dissipated already, and that’s without considering the fact that any deal would send baseball’s #1 prospect in Francisco Alvarez (plus major league talent and Ronny Mauricio) to a hated division rival. The main reason why the Mets are among this echelon of Soto contenders is in the dollar signs. Steve Cohen since taking over as the team’s majority owner has been handing out money with little regard for the luxury tax, as can be seen in the $341 million extension given to Francisco Lindor and the massive $43 million a year deal the Mets inked Max Scherzer to last winter. The money to keep Soto in Queens is there and willing to be utilized should the Mets pull the trigger. Despite the money available though, the cost of trade would simply be too high for New York to risk with a team they see 19 times a year. Simply put, the Mets would be better suited to find help in the batter’s box elsewhere. But this is Steve Cohen. Don’t count it out.

Across the Whitestone Bridge, the Soto ship has seemingly sailed for the Yankees as well. A lot of question marks surrounded this outfield when the news of Soto’s availability broke and some of them still remain. No one really knows where Aaron Judge will end up next year as an upcoming free agent enjoying a career season. Joey Gallo has been outright horrible and is no longer a starter on this team, with Aaron Hicks too inconsistent to take his place. With an outfield spot open next to Judge and Stanton, many believed the Yankees would go full Steinbrenner for Soto. However, Brian Cashman decided to go with a different approach and spend way less to acquire .300 hitter Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City. With Matt Carpenter continuing to rake as the DH, there is no place for Soto in Yankee pinstripes anymore.

Serious contenders

Finally, the squads with the farm system, playoff aspirations, and financial flexibility to make Soto a staple of a contending franchise for the next decade plus.

Following a shocking 107-win season in 2021, the Giants have been unable to rekindle their magic as they are currently middling at .500 in the NL West. Like last year, the lineup is filled mostly with role players but missing the big shining superstar in the heart of it. That was Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, and Buster Posey last year, who have since significantly regressed and retired respectively. Joc Pederson has had an all-star-worthy season and both Wilmer Flores and Thairo Estrada have been consistent pieces in the lineup but nothing outside of those three truly poses an offensive threat in the Bay Area. In terms of the need factor, there may not be another team more desperate for someone of Soto’s caliber. San Francisco’s farm system is ripe with talent that Washington would be interested in, such as #8 overall prospect SS Marco Luciano, #24 LHP Kyle Harrison, and intriguing outfielders Heliot Ramos and Luis Matos. With their payroll sitting around the league average with significant money both coming off the books and stashed away, San Fran certainly has the money to give Soto whatever he wants to be the face of the Giants franchise for the foreseeable future. With the Yankees out of the Soto running and likely now committed to paying Aaron Judge, Soto is the Giants' lone hope to acquire a superstar in the next couple of months. This organization isn’t one that likes to lose and hasn’t undergone a true rebuild in a while and with the extra wild-card spot in play now, the logic is absolutely there for Soto to get to the Bay as the generational talent to anchor the lineup and one-up the Dodgers and Padres. Come on, who doesn’t want to see Soto Splashes into McCovey Cove?

Not to be forgotten, the Seattle Mariners are choc-full of young talent right now and are in position for their first postseason appearance in two decades, following their 14-game winning streak to finish off the first half. Fueled by a young phenom of their own in Julio Rodriguez, can you imagine him and Soto in the corners of T-Mobile Park’s outfield for the next 10 years? Well, league executives believe it may become reality soon. Seattle’s farm is strong with a lot to like if you’re Washington. Noelvi Marte is one of the most promising infield prospects in the minors and Emerson Hancock is developing as the perfect pitcher in today’s day and age with crazy velocity and wipeout breaking stuff. Rookie George Kirby has also been very promising and if Washington is looking for established major leaguers, Kyle Lewis is expendable with Jarred Kelenic on the way up. The Mariners aren’t locked into any big contracts aside from Robbie Ray which suggests the money is there for Soto’s desired extension. Don't forget, that Jerry DiPoto guy loves trading, and he’s even more desperate now to end the longest active playoff drought in North American sports than ever. Their roster makeup of quality arms and electric bats suggests that Seattle could not only hold on to a playoff spot but even make some magic in October. Juan Soto knows a thing or two about that after leading the Nationals to glory in 2019 as a 20-year-old. If you put him in this lineup, the Mariners have the talent to win a World Series this year. What a story that would be. The ball is in Seattle’s court with enough young talent to make this deal happen and it’s on them now to prove just how serious they are about winning in this decade of baseball in the Great Northwest.

Back to the NL, there’s a team that’s no stranger to trading for stars, giving out their long-term extensions, and then having those acquisitions lead them into October. The St. Louis Cardinals have swung trades for Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in the last few years and it’s resulted in back-to-back playoff appearances, with nothing to show of it in both 2020 and 2021. With the second most championships in baseball, the Cardinals are one of the sport’s most consistent clubs and while they are playing well in 2022, they still trail Milwaukee in the division and are tied for the last wild-card spot. This team needs a jumpstart behind Goldschmidt and Arenado as while Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan have jacked up their batting averages, a power left-handed slugger like Soto would transform this lineup and make them that much harder to pitch to. They’ve got the pieces to do it, with Washington being able to pick between quality major leaguers in Dylan Carlson or Tyler O’Neil to replace Soto in the outfield along with young hitter Nolan Gorman plus MLB Pipeline’s #6 prospect Jordan Walker and highly touted LHP Matthew Liberatore. Should the Cardinals pull off the deal, they have the money to pay Soto his massive extension, as they did with Goldschmidt and Arenado as this franchise isn’t one that sells out for rentals. With exits in the Wild Card round the last two years and being swept by Soto’s Nationals in the 2019 NLCS, the Cardinals are growing restless for more October success as they haven’t reached the World Series since 2013. With Soto, they would have the best trio of hitters on one team in the game along with a quality bullpen unit. Add another arm in with Soto and this team will be right there with the Dodgers, Mets, and Braves as the favorites in the NL this year and beyond.

The most popular pick among Soto destinations is the San Diego Padres and for good reason. While Manny Machado has posted MVP-like numbers this season, he has gotten virtually no help from the rest of the bats as Fernando Tatis Jr. has still yet to play this season with a shoulder injury. “Slam Diego” has been anything but that offensively as of late as they rank in the bottom third in nearly every major offensive category as a team in 2022. Despite the anemic offense, this team has been pitching lights out with Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Sean Manaea all meeting or exceeding expectations. Their arms are what’s kept them afloat without the runs as being 10 games over .500 would seem near impossible with the troubles at the dish. But now, the opportunity is presenting itself for the Padres to bring on arguably the two best young hitters in baseball today. The return of Tatis is imminent according to sources and what better way to welcome him back than to give him another Dominican destroyer of baseballs? As they’ve had for years, San Diego’s farm is loaded with assets. LHP Mackenzie Gore has been one of baseball’s top pitching prospects for years and has shown he can perform at the major league level along with another promising young arm in Adrian Morejon. Outfielders Robert Hassell and James Wood are both highly regarded as potential all-stars when they’re fully developed and the Nationals don’t have much young talent patrolling the grass right now.

Being blocked by Tatis at shortstop, former top prospect CJ Abrams becomes easier to trade for San Diego as well. Out of those five names, at least three of them plus throw-ins would be required to get Soto to San Diego. But for a team that’s winning for how badly they’re struggling offensively, this is a trade that can turn the Padres into a juggernaut in the coming years with Tatis, Machado, and Soto at the head of the lineup. GM A.J. Preller is no stranger to big moves and has shown his commitment to winning with this team. With Eric Hosmer’s money soon to be off the books and Machado due for an opt-out, extending Soto wouldn’t be an issue for the Padres financially and it would lock him in with Tatis as the franchise’s faces. If there ever was a chance to get out of the Dodgers' shadow and return San Diego to the top of the baseball world, it’s now.

It’s only fitting to wrap this guide up with the team that finds a way to get anyone they want. In the last two years, the Los Angeles Dodgers have traded for Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Max Scherzer. They’ve signed Trevor Bauer and Freddie Freeman. When this team wants a franchise superstar, they get a franchise superstar. And with the horrible seasons being put on by Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy, the need for a powerful left-handed bat is great in Chavez Ravine. And of course, the best one in baseball happens to be available.

The Nationals and Dodgers linked up on the blockbuster of the summer in 2021 when LA sent four top prospects to DC for Scherzer and Turner and while Mad Max is now in New York, reuniting Turner and Soto to go along with Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Justin Turner and Gavin Lux in the lineup would be absolutely unstoppable. With Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson enjoying breakout years, the continued reliability of Clayton Kershaw, and the returns of Dustin May and Walker Buehler approaching, if this team got Soto, there would be little hope for the rest of the league. The prospect pool is there, with catcher Diego Cartaya and electric RHP Bobby Miller, not to mention either May or Lux possibly getting involved in a deal. Obviously, the money isn’t an issue for the Dodgers as they seemingly don’t care what it takes financially to win themselves a title in a full season. On cruise control in the NL West and holding off the NL East for the top seed in the playoffs, the Dodgers have been just fine even with the underwhelming offense they’ve gotten from Bellinger and Muncy. But with the Padres and Giants salivating at the thought of Soto in their uniform, the urgency in LA is there for them to keep their rivals away from Juan Soto. Let’s see how badly they want that supremacy.