Have you visited our store? Click here.In a blockbuster trade, the Nationals moved Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the San Diego Padres.1 In return, they got C.J. Abrams, James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell, Jarlin Susana, and Luke Voit who was added last minute after Eric Hosmer declined the spot.2
The trade effectively gutted the Nationals’ 2019 World Series roster.
The Juan Soto trade is the latest in a long list of trades that validates the Nationals’ inability to retain proven talent for one reason or another. In the past five years, the Nationals have traded the following key players: Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Max Scherzer, Trae Turner, and now Juan Soto.
This leaves the Nationals with Stephen Strasburg, Nelson Cruz, and 46 other guys.
With the exception of Stephen Strasburg, it’s as if the Nationals favor development over retention. The biggest issue with contract re-ups is funding but if the goal is to save money, it’s going to take more than prospects to win championships. While these are very talented additions, the Nationals will need to focus heavily on development in the next few years.
The trade puts Soto and Bell on the same team as Manny Machado, Wil Myers, and Fernando Tatis Jr. boosting the Padres’ chances of becoming a championship team.
To view the current eBay auctions for Juan Soto baseball cards, click here.
References:
- San Diego Padres trade for Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto. www.espn.com ↩︎
- Eric Hosmer Rejects Trade To Nationals; Padres Still Have Deal For Juan Soto. www.mlbtraderumors.com ↩︎
