What would a Juan Soto trade look like? Article 4 (Because 3 just wasn’t enough!)

Jake

27 Jul, 2022

What would a Juan Soto trade look like? Article 4 (Because 3 just wasn’t enough!)

July 26, 2022

          Here in Article 4, we will be talking about a potential Juan Soto trade to the Cardinals. We’ve already explored trades to the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers, so I figured I would go with a smaller market. The Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright Era is coming to a halt, so maybe it’s time for a new era, the Juan Soto era. 

     Cardinals get Juan Soto

     Nationals get Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, Matthew Liberatore, Alec Burleson, and Connor Thomas

     This is an excellent return for the Nationals. 4 out of the 5 players are Major League ready and two are already in the majors as I write this. Jordan Walker is currently in AA, bit is the top talent in the trade and is only 20 years old. He has an elite bat, with a lot of power. He even is hitting .301 this season. Walker is the #7 prospect in the MLB according to MLB.com and fills a need at 3rd base. Gorman is a rookie who has turned into a productive Major Leaguer so far this season. He was once a top 50 prospect, but he has graduated from prospect status. Like Gorman, Liberatore has already been in the majors this season and could step into the Nationals rotation. Liberatore, a lefty pitcher, has struggled somewhat at the MLB level, but the Nationals have plenty of time to wait for his development. Burleson has absolutely raked in AAA so far this season, hitting .338/.379/.554 with a .933 OPS and 17 homers. Looking further into his stats, he seems to be an extreme contact hitter, having only 21 walks and 52 strikeouts in 325 At bats. Burleson could also step in right away for the Nationals. Connor Thomas is a control and groundball pitcher that is just about Major League ready. He does have a mid-4 ERA in AAA, but he doesn’t give up walks very often and could be a valuable innings eater. 

     Soto of course gives the Cardinals a big lefty bat to go with Arenado and Goldschmidt, which will balance their lineup more. I think this trade would cement the Cardinals into first place this season, and as a serious contender in the National League. This trade puts them above the Brewers in my opinion, which is what they really need. The Nationals in return will get 5 great young players who will be able to contribute either right away or very soon. The Cardinals might want Soto promising to extend as a part of this deal, and I’m not sure Soto would agree to that. We will see.