The Yankees have reportedly completed the blockbuster trade fans had been waiting to see, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post indicates the Bombers have acquired Juan Soto from the Padres.
Talks had reportedly been ongoing since before the Winter Meetings, stalled when San Diego asked for a load of pitching in return for the soon-to-be free agent, and picked back up in Nashville heading into the final day of the meetings in Tennessee. Now, it appears Soto is a Yankee, giving the Bombers a much-needed prolific lefty bat in the middle of the lineup alongside Aaron Judge.
Per reports, including from Jack Curry of the YES Network, the Bombers will send a load of pitchers to the Padres in the deal, including Michael King, top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vasquez. Catcher Kyle Higashioka will also go to San Diego, as he had become an expendable piece for the Yankees with Austin Wells and Jose Trevino being the likely tandem behind the plate in 2024.
King had been a revelation for the Yanks in recent years, pitching to a 2.29 ERA out of the bullpen in 2022 before an elbow injury derailed his season. Last year, he moved into the starting rotation after beginning the year in the bullpen, and King thrived in a starting role, posting a 2.23 ERA as a starter across nine appearances. His 104 innings of work were by far a career high.
Brito posted a 4.28 ERA in 90.1 innings of work last season, as injuries necessitated the 25-year-old's services for much of the season. Vasquez, also 25, finished with a 2.87 ERA in a starter and reliever role.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the deal will also bring outfielder Trent Grisham to the Yankees as another depth piece alongside the newly acquired Alex Verdugo. Grisham hasn't posted an OPS above .700 in the past two seasons, but he is a two-time Gold Glove winner in his second year of arbitration eligibility.
Soto, still just 25 years old, is one of the best on-base performers in the league, leading MLB in walks in 2023, the third time in his career he has done so. He earned his third All-Star selection in 2023, posting a .930 OPS while smashing a career-high 35 home runs. He also played all 162 games, and hasn’t played in less than 150 games in a season since 2018, his first year in the league (not counting the shortened 2020 campaign).
Soto, for now, is a one-year rental, and could still elect to test free agency at the end of the 2024 season. He will command a massive contract, and the Yankees will likely try to lock him up to an extension before it comes to that. For now, the Yanks just drastically changed the outlook of their lineup in one major move.