Juan Soto Sep 30, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Juan Soto (22) watches his RBI-double against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Juan Soto has come up in trade rumors this MLB offseason, and that didn’t stop on Thursday. In fact, an ESPN MLB insider predicted that Soto could be traded to the New York Yankees.

Jeff Passan joined The Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio 98.7 FM in New York. Passan talked about a potential trade for the elite outfielder, and why the Yankees might make sense for him.

Passan discussed the payroll problems that the Padres might face, with money issues tying them up potentially as well as a swath of free agents leaving the team. He said this scenario would potentially open the door for a Soto trade, and that the Yankees make sense for the slugger.

“Logically, what it says to you is that Juan Soto has to go. If you want a payroll of $200 million, as the Padres would like to do for next season, Juan Soto simply can’t be a part of it. And that is why Yankees fans should be excited because I think they’ve got a really good chance of going out and getting him,” Passan said.

The Yankees acquiring Soto would certainly give the fans a much-needed jolt of optimism. Saying it’s going to happen and it actually happening, though, are obviously two different things.

So, we’ll see where this all is headed, though it appears a trade may soon be coming.

[Talkin Yanks]

About Chris Novak

Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022