Nationals trade Juan Soto/Josh Bell to San Diego

nvalvo

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When evaluating this haul, you have to factor in that the Nats also gave up Bell and took on Hosmer. Obviously Soto makes up the largest chunk of the value by far, but the Bell/Hosmer part alone generates a return well north of what we got for Vazquez, right?
Oh, for sure.
 

JimRiceHOFer

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11:36am: Hosmer is “not thrilled” about the idea of waiving his no-trade protection to go from a contender to a rebuilding club, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Bowden, meanwhile, adds that San Diego would remain on the hook for Hosmer’s salary over the 2023-25 seasons if he were included in the deal, with the Nationals only picking up the remainder of this year’s money.

So the Nats get Hosmer for 3 years, for the rest of this season's salary? They could flip him somewhere else easily if SD is paying him for the next 3 years.
 

PedroKsBambino

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For those suggesting it is light, what is a prospect deal which included more value?

Miguel Cabrera (then 24) was dealt with Dontrelle Willis (coming off a bad year and about to need a contract) for Andrew Miller Cameron Maybin (both top 20 prospects) and parts (a couple of the minor leaguers were decent lottery tickets). This deal is more prospect talent than that one AND they got a better major league swap (Bell has positive value and Hosmer major negative value)
 

cshea

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If they're paying for Hosmer, then they could just complete the deal without him. Doesn't seem to be a major impact to the structure of the deal.

SD would be left with an unhappy Hosmer, but a few hours to find a location he's OK with, particularly if they're footing the bill.
 

PedroKsBambino

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This is just SD trying to save a bit of money on Hosmer, right? They save $10 mil this year in the reported swap, or a bit less. That can't actually hold up the deal. They can see if someone else wants him at that price.

Is he still minor league eligible? That would be my next move if I were Padres.
 

Cesar Crespo

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If they are willing to pay his contract, should the Sox be in on him? Give them Gilberto Jimenez or something.
 

Cesar Crespo

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This is just SD trying to save a bit of money on Hosmer, right? They save $10 mil this year in the reported swap, or a bit less. That can't actually hold up the deal. They can see if someone else wants him at that price.

Is he still minor league eligible? That would be my next move if I were Padres.
He probably has options given he made the majors at 21 for good, but he'd have to agree. It would be DFA. I doubt anyone would claim him.
 

JM3

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Padres probably just spite trade him to his 11th least favorite team & call it a day.

Free Hosmer seems like an upgrade, though.
 

DeadlySplitter

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It does seem like Hosmer + 39M subsidized would be net neutral value and thus not affect the trade much. My question is why the Padres thought he’d be ok with it.

Padres are trying to duck under the tax this year.
 

Ferm Sheller

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It does seem like Hosmer + 39M subsidized would be net neutral value and thus not affect the trade much. My question is why the Padres thought he’d be ok with it.

Padres are trying to duck under the tax this year.
I'd bet that the Pads and Nats agreed to a deal with Hosmer included as "plan A" with the caveat that they'd need to get Hosmer's approval, and if they couldn't the two teams would just have to agree to not include Hosmer as "plan B".
 

Cesar Crespo

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Do we know if the Sox are on Hosmer's list?
According to Ken Rosenthal in 2021, BAL, CLE, DET, MIL, OAK, PIT, SF, SEA, STL, TOR.

That's clearly wrong, though.

edit: never mind. I guess he gets to name 10 teams every year.
 

PedroKsBambino

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He doesn't have a job in SD anymore and would in DC---that's why he might have said yes
 

Rovin Romine

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I'd bet that the Pads and Nats agreed to a deal with Hosmer included as "plan A" with the caveat that they'd need to get Hosmer's approval, and if they couldn't the two teams would just have to agree to not include Hosmer as "plan B".
Possibly there's more headed from SD to WSN - if SD were paying all of Hosmer's freight for 3 years, then he would have been worth quite a bit, should WSN choose to flip to the right secondary club.
 

DanoooME

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If Hosmer won't go, they could include Wil Myers and at least get his money off the books this year and worry about Hosmer in the offseason.
 

Murderer's Crow

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Does this make the Dodgers and Mets more edgy to improve? JD and Nate might be looking better and helped raise the asking price
No. The Mets were never in on Soto, just using division logic. The Dodgers are pretty much stacked already so there isn't much they "need." The Mets have a pretty strong need for at least a reliever and impact bat. JDM to NYM makes too much sense.
 

Yelling At Clouds

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Eh. They have 2 drafts, and 2+ years of trades, pre-Soto FA to find a few prospects who can replace who they've traded.

SD has had 1 winning season in the past 11 years. They've seen purgatory.
If you're the Padres you also might have noticed that one of your division rivals who is NOT the Dodgers are also building something potentially really special (that list doesn't even include Druw Jones!) - could be that SD's window closes as Arizona's is getting ready to open
 

sgfeer

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No. The Mets were never in on Soto, just using division logic. The Dodgers are pretty much stacked already so there isn't much they "need." The Mets have a pretty strong need for at least a reliever and impact bat. JDM to NYM makes too much sense.
That was my reasoning, the Mets need another bat, the Dodgers got Gallo? I was hoping Diekman would go with JD to the Mets if it happened to sweeten the return.
 

BigPapiLumber Co.

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I really like what the Nats got back. It sucks having to trade him, but they're likely a much better team in 2025 now than they would have been. And they weren't going to compete in '23 or '24 anyway. Lots to like in that package of prospects. And quantity to mitigate the risk that some of the quality is a mirage.

On the subject of mirages, Nightengale reports that Luke Voit is going the Nats' way, as a replacement for Hosmer.
 

Wingack

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I really like what the Nats got back. It sucks having to trade him, but they're likely a much better team in 2025 now than they would have been. And they weren't going to compete in '23 or '24 anyway. Lots to like in that package of prospects. And quantity to mitigate the risk that some of the quality is a mirage.

On the subject of mirages, Nightengale reports that Luke Voit is going the Nats' way, as a replacement for Hosmer.
Voit may be the better get than Hosmer anyway.
 

BigSoxFan

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One year later:

SD 61-68
WAS 61-69
And Mackenzie Gore and CJ Abrams are having solid seasons while James Wood is the #7 prospect in baseball. Robert Hassell hasn’t done much in AA but still only 22. With this group, Dylan Crews, and Brady House all in AA or above, this franchise has retooled pretty nicely in short order. Makes the Angels’ decision on Ohtani that much more frustrating.
 

radsoxfan

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And Mackenzie Gore and CJ Abrams are having solid seasons while James Wood is the #7 prospect in baseball. Robert Hassell hasn’t done much in AA but still only 22. With this group, Dylan Crews, and Brady House all in AA or above, this franchise has retooled pretty nicely in short order. Makes the Angels’ decision on Ohtani that much more frustrating.
I agree likely not the right call, especially with the benefit of hindsight.

But Soto also got that huge haul partly because he had 2 full seasons of control aside from the season of the trade.

I’m sure Ohtani would have gotten something nice but I doubt it was going to be some automatic franchise altering package.
 

BigSoxFan

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I agree likely not the right call, especially with the benefit of hindsight.

But Soto also got that huge haul partly because he had 2 full seasons of control aside from the season of the trade.

I’m sure Ohtani would have gotten something nice but I doubt it was going to be some automatic franchise altering package.
Definitely not the same package but this is a farm system in complete disarray. They don’t have a single top 100 guy outside of O’Hoppe who’ll lose his prospect status soon. If they made Ohtani available, they almost surely would have gotten a top 100 guy or two along with some other lotto tickets. He would have been traded with the idea that he’d be pitching as well so that would have generated extra value not usually seen in a rental deal.

All in all, this franchise is more or less screwed. Ohtani is likely leaving this offseason. Trout is 32 and on the decline. Rendon is a complete waste and has 3/114 remaining. The rest of their roster is mediocre talent with little upside.

I’d be pretty despondent if I were an Angels fan, particularly after this latest Ohtani news. And it makes me appreciate Chaim a little more. He has his warts but I can’t even imagine this level of incompetence and lack of hope. Well, outside of college sports (thanks, BC).
 

JM3

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Definitely not the same package but this is a farm system in complete disarray. They don’t have a single top 100 guy outside of O’Hoppe who’ll lose his prospect status soon. If they made Ohtani available, they almost surely would have gotten a top 100 guy or two along with some other lotto tickets. He would have been traded with the idea that he’d be pitching as well so that would have generated extra value not usually seen in a rental deal
Can't have top 100 prospects if you promote all of them to the Majors before anyone has a chance to rank them.

But yeah, they're really poorly run. Couldn't imagine Ohtani re-signing & they know it.
 

axx

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I expect the Soto to be traded in the offseason. I imagine the haul won't be as nice but the Padres should be able to get something. Soto's defense though... woof. I wouldn't trade for him unless there was a path for hin to be the DH long term.
 
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BigSoxFan

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I expect the Nats to trade Soto in the offseason. I imagine the haul won't be as nice but the Padres should be able to get something. Soto's defense though... woof. I wouldn't trade for him unless there was a path for hin to be the DH long term.
Might be hard for the Nationals to trade Soto again :)

Nearly 1.000 OPS on road this year. I think the guy just needs to get out of SD. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for the Sox, obviously. But I do think he would absolutely mash in Fenway.