Juan Soto has officially been dealt to the Padres, as both San Diego and the Nationals announced the trade on Tuesday afternoon, and that means the Yankees or Mets won't be acquiring a generational superstar this summer.
Brandon Tierney can't believe both New York teams missed out on a chance to get Soto.
"Can somebody explain to me why neither the Yankees or Mets made a real, aggressive move on this guy?" BT asked. "That's like the Jets and Giants needing a quarterback and Patrick Mahomes is available, and you don't go after him.
"I want to know. Don't tell me money, because he's controllable. Don't tell me you didn't have the prospects, because you do. Why did the Yankees and the Mets refrain from going all in on one of the great young players in the game?"
In terms of the money, BT is right in that Soto is still under team control for the next two-plus seasons, meaning even if San Diego doesn't sign Soto to an extension, they have him for the next three playoff pushes. In terms of the prospect haul that Washington got back in return, MacKenzie Gore made his big-league debut this season and carries plenty of hype as a former third overall pick, while outfielders Robert Hassell III and James Wood are ranked 21st and 88th in the top 100 prospects rankings, respectively, on MLB.com. The Nats also got Luke Voit in the deal, shortstop prospect CJ Abrams, who made his debut in April after being taken sixth overall in 2019, and another pitching prospect in Jarlin Susana.
That is quite a haul, but the Yankees and Mets certainly have the top-tier prospects to have gotten a deal done, though it also took some hyped phenoms who have already reached the big-league level as well. Regardless, BT believes the Yanks and Mets should have been more aggressive in their pursuits of Soto.
Follow WFAN's midday team on Twitter: @TikiandTierney, @TikiBarber, @BrandonTierney, and @TheHoffWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say 'Play W-F-A-N')
