The Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres will always be connected by a historic trade that sent superstar outfielder Juan Soto to the West Coast. But the Padres and New York Yankees will also be connected by a Soto trade. And the Yankees and New York Mets will always be connected by Soto leaving the former for the latter after just one season.
What do the Nationals, Padres and Yankees all have in common, outside of previously having Soto in their dugout? Successfully transitioning from him.
Here’s how all three teams turned the page on Soto.
Washington Nationals (2022 MLB Trade Deadline)
The Nationals acquired three former top-10 MLB draft picks from the Padres for Soto. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
The Nationals were at the bottom of the pack and couldn’t find common ground on an extension with Soto during the 2022 season. With Soto two-and-a-half years away from free agency, Washington made the bold choice to trade the young star for a king’s ransom.
San Diego received: OF Juan Soto, 1B Josh Bell
Washington received: SS CJ Abrams, OF Robert Hassell III, LHP MacKenzie Gore, OF James Wood, RHP Jarlin Susana, 1B Luke Voit
To be clear, the Nationals recently lost 11 consecutive games and look poised to post a losing record for a sixth consecutive season since winning the 2019 World Series. The perpetual struggle for their rebuild to make tangible progress in the win column is alarming. But if there’s one thing the Nationals have gotten right over the past four years, ironically, it’s trading Soto.
The trade package that Washington received for Soto included three former top-10 overall draft picks (Gore, Abrams and Hassell), a former second-round pick (Wood) and a young right-handed starting pitcher whose fastball clocks triple digits (Susana).
Wood, who made his MLB debut in July 2024, has quickly become one of the most menacing hitters in the sport, possessing overwhelming power from the left side. This season, Wood ranks in the 99th percentile in hard-hit percentage, 98th in barrel percentage and 97th in average exit velocity, per Statcast. The 6-foot-7 outfielder, who’s 22, has totaled 21 home runs and 57 RBIs, while boasting a .558 slugging percentage.
Abrams was an All-Star last season and has flashed star potential over his three years in D.C. The shortstop has made dazzling plays at the middle infield position, has impact power and a sweet swing from the left side and moves like the wind. Abrams averaged 19.5 home runs and 39 stolen bases per season from 2023-24 and owns a career-best .836 OPS and 137 OPS+ this season.
After posting strikeouts at a high clip and finishing 2024 strong, Gore has emerged as Washington’s undisputed ace this season. The left-hander owns a 3.19 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a National League-high 123 strikeouts over 93.0 innings, while pitching through the sixth inning in 12 of his 16 starts. Gore brings the heat but is also precise with the deployment of his curveball and slider.
The Nationals could very well have two All-Stars this year from their 2022 midseason trade in Wood and Gore. Meanwhile, Hassell recently made his MLB debut and the still-21-year-old Susana is in Double A.
San Diego Padres (2023-24 MLB Offseason)
Michael King recorded a 2.95 ERA with the Padres in 2024, making a career-high 30 starts. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Padres wanted payroll relief, and the easiest way to do that was not to sign Soto, who was one year away from free agency, to a long-term deal, so they made a blockbuster trade with the Yankees.
New York received: OF Juan Soto, OF Trent Grisham
San Diego received: RHP Michael King, RHP Randy Vásquez, RHP Jhony Brito, C Kyle Higashioka, RHP Drew Thorpe
At face value, the Padres got quantity and four pitchers, a couple of whom could potentially become members of their starting rotation. Then, it became considerable value to the point where San Diego ultimately replenished some of the prospect capital that it sent to Washington for Soto just 16 months earlier.
King came up as a starting pitcher with the Yankees but was quickly moved to the bullpen. Late in the 2023 season, he took the hill as a starter once again, making nine starts, and upon arrival in San Diego, became an immediate member of its rotation. Furthermore, King proceeded to have a breakout season, posting a 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 201 strikeouts across 173.2 innings (30 starts, 31 appearances). The right-hander is currently on the injured list due to a pinched nerve in his pitching shoulder. Prior to the flare, King posted a 2.59 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 64 strikeouts over his first 10 starts this season (55.2 innings).
King is one of the best right-handed pitchers MLB has to offer. He has a consistent four-pitch arsenal (sinker, four-seamer, changeup and sweeper) and has become the Padres’ ace. But wait, there’s more on the pitching front.
Vásquez was able to hold his own in 20 starts for the Padres in 2024. This season, he has become a staple in San Diego’s rotation, posting a 3.60 ERA across his first 16 starts. Now, Vasquez also owns a 5.51 FIP and has frequently had to work out of trouble, but if he can get hold of his consistent, five-pitch arsenal (cutter, four-seamer, sweeper, curveball and sinker), the right-hander is a long-term building block for San Diego.
Elsewhere in the trade return, Higashioka hit 17 home runs in 84 games for the Padres in 2024 before signing with the Texas Rangers, and Brito made 26 appearances out of the Padres’ bullpen last season. Granted, Brito will miss the entire 2025 season due to a right elbow injury.
What happened to Thorpe? He was included in a trade package to acquire Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox two weeks before the 2024 regular season, with the right-hander posting a 3.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 224 strikeouts for the Padres last season.
New York Yankees (2024-25 MLB Offseason)
The Yankees signed Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal last offseason. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The Yankees reportedly offered Soto a 16-year, $760 million deal, but the Mets offered him a 15-year, $765 million deal. While the money indicated that keeping Soto was the Yankees’ No. 1 choice, they were able to make a handful of void-filling and, in some cases, electric moves by not re-signing him.
Yankees’ notable offseason moves
- Signed LHP Max Fried (eight-year, $218 million deal)
- Acquired OF Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs
- Signed 1B Paul Goldschmidt (one-year, $12.5 million deal)
- Acquired RHP Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers
Barring a cataclysmic individual collapse, Yankees superstar slugger Aaron Judge is likely to win the American League MVP Award for the third time in four seasons. If AL MVP voting were held tomorrow, Fried may be the runner-up for the award.
Fried has been exceptional for the Yankees. Across his first 16 starts, Fried has posted a 2.05 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 97 strikeouts in 101 innings, with the southpaw pitching through seven innings in seven outings and owning an MLB-high nine wins. The former Atlanta Braves star’s career-best season to date comes in timely fashion with Yankees ace Gerrit Cole out for all of 2025 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Bellinger has performed to his recent tendencies, possessing pop from the left side and the defensive versatility to play all three outfield positions and first base, if need be. This season, Bellinger has totaled 10 home runs and 38 RBIs, while boasting a .254/.320/.436 slash line. While Goldschmidt likely would’ve been signed regardless of where Soto ended up – they play different positions – the veteran first baseman is having a resurgent season, boasting a .298/.358/.447 slash line.
Meanwhile, Williams is having a rough debut season in the Bronx, but the two-time All-Star has been much better after a tumultuous start that saw his ERA stand at 10.03 on May 6, with the right-hander owning a 1.62 ERA over his last 16.2 innings pitched.
After losing Soto, the Yankees got a new ace in Fried — or potentially their 1B ace when Cole returns in 2026 — a proven outfielder with 242 career postseason at-bats in Bellinger, a well-rounded first baseman who’s boosting their offense in Goldschmidt and one of the best relievers in the sport in Williams. The combined value of those four players at least matches, if not exceeds what the Yankees gave up to acquire Soto. Plus, Grisham – who the Yankees also acquired in the Soto trade – has hit 15 home runs and owns a career-best .476 slugging percentage this season. Despite a recent six-game skid, the Yankees are still atop the AL East at 45-32.
Washington turned one superstar into three players who are or have the chance to become stars and two more wild-card prospects; San Diego turned one superstar into two new starting pitchers, including its new ace; after losing Soto to the Mets, the Yankees built out their roster with depth, including adding a rotation anchor.
Are all three teams in a better place now than when they had Soto? That’s debatable, but it’s difficult to assert that any of them are in a worse place than when they had Soto. They all effectively shifted in their own distinct way.
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