The New York Yankees have been linked in trade rumors to star outfielder Juan Soto for months now. And they were finally able to pull off the blockbuster deal with the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.
Reports circulated earlier in the day that the two teams were nearing a deal. However, each player involved in the trade needed to undergo a medical exam to make the deal go through, which slowed things throughout the day.
Only medicals and minor details to go on Juan Soto trade talks with the Padres and Yankees. The principles are telling folks they expect the deal done fairly soon. Once done, NYY will also get Trent Grisham in deal to back up their revamped starting OF of Soto, Judge and Verdugo.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 6, 2023
The deal was made official on Wednesday night. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Yankees will be receiving Padres outfielders Juan Soto and Trent Grisham. In return, the Padres will receive Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, and Kyle Higashioka.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
Yankees receive: outfielders Juan Soto and Trent Grisham.
Padres receive: right-handed pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito and catcher Kyle Higashioka.@Joelsherman1 was on top of the deal.— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 7, 2023
It’s a deal that Yankees fans have been pleading for. So it should come as no surprise that many fans of the Bronx bombers took to social media to express their excitement about the news.
Yankees are back let’s go!!!
— Dellin Betances (@DBetances68) December 7, 2023
Yankees fans realizing their Juan Soto dreams have become a reality pic.twitter.com/uXNygoRW6h
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 7, 2023
JUAN SOTO IS A NEW YORK YANKEE TRADE IS COMPLETE!!! LETS GETTT IT GOO YANKEES HOW YOU FEELING pic.twitter.com/EIa1RjH8FV
— JoezMcfly🇩🇴 (@JoezMcfLy) December 7, 2023
We’re gonna get to watch this in pinstripes next year oh my god pic.twitter.com/vQ8qG0Xxcu
— Addison (@YankeeWRLD) December 7, 2023
In other news, Yankees are so back
— Kevin Huerter (@KevinHuerter) December 7, 2023
Yankees fans celebrating the Soto deal pic.twitter.com/nm92uKzyBL
— Jonny's Lasagna ⚾️ (@JLasagna43) December 7, 2023
This is the latest big move for the Yankees, as they also made a trade with the Boston Red Sox for veteran outfielder Alex Verdugo on Tuesday, a pretty significant move as well that should help the Yankees lineup.
On paper, getting Soto is huge for the Yankees as they look to regain their status as a contender in the American League. But the Padres also get several good pieces as they look to rebuild for the future.
The package is centered around Michael King, who was one of the best relief pitchers in all of baseball in 2023. He finished the year with a 2.75 ERA and had the second-highest WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of all pitchers for the Yankees.
Some other MLB-ready pieces headed to San Diego are 25-year-old starting pitcher Jhony Brito and veteran catcher Kyle Higashioka, who both have shown they can perform well enough for a significant role right away.
On top of this, the Padres will be receiving two pitching prospects in the Yankees farm system in Drew Thorpe and Randy Vasquez. Both rank inside the top 15 in the Yankees farm system.
These are some pretty significant losses for the Yankees that could impact the team for years to come. But getting a player like Soto is simply an opportunity that was too good for them to pass up. And their lineup certainly looks like one that will be a force to be reckoned with next season.
