Nats trading Soto to division-rival Mets 'close to impossible'?

The Juan Soto sweepstakes is in full force. Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Nationals trading Juan Soto to division-rival Mets 'close to impossible'?

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Jason Burgos | Last updated 7/22/22

Several execs around MLB believe the Washington Nationals and New York Mets working on a Juan Soto trade makes sense personnel-wise but would be “impossible” to make on a competitive and fan morale level.

Soto is the best available player on the trade block by a large margin. The 23-year-old is a two-time All-Star, World Series champion and still hasn’t come close to the potential he has as an elite-level baseball player. While he might be looking for a $500 million deal when he becomes a free agent, that is still two and a half years away.

With such a special talent up for grabs, not only are the big-market teams switching gears to jump into the Soto sweepstakes before the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline, but even small- and mid-market teams are reportedly interested in giving up a massive horde of prospects to acquire the superstar.

Due to their massive payroll with new owner Steve Cohen, the Mets were a team immediately linked to a possible deal for the talented Nationals outfielder. A new report relays that the National League East leaders probably have the assets to pull off a deal.

On Friday, The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Tim Britton reported one league executive informed them that “a starting point of Francisco Álvarez, Brett Baty, and at least a few other prospects, likely also including Ronny Mauricio or Mark Vientos” might help get a deal done. All four players are seen as the Mets organization’s best in what is a solid farm system. Furthermore, the Mets have the money to take on Patrick Corbin’s contract, which is allegedly something the Nats would want in any deal.

Unfortunately, while the two sides do match up well to make a deal happen, they are also in the same division, and The Athletic report reveals that fact is an immediate deal breaker for a game-changing player like Juan Soto.

“Multiple sources indicated that such a move may very well be a non-starter, citing the impact it has not just on your team’s competitiveness but also on your fan base’s morale, both of which would be worsened with an in-division move. One called it ‘close to impossible’ and another say it was ‘just bad business.'”

The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers are believed to be some of the favorites to land the All-Star in a trade.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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