Juan Soto traded to Yankees in MLB’s first offseason blockbuster

The largest domino but has fallen on the MLB Winter Conferences.

Whereas it’s no the highly-anticipated announcement relating to the place Shohei Ohtani shall be taking part in baseball subsequent yr, it’s nonetheless a dramatic transfer. The San Diego Padres have traded slugger Juan Soto to the New York Yankees.

All through the day Wednesday, reporting from the MLB Winter Conferences indicated that the deal was nearing completion. Then late within the evening, phrase broke from Joel Sherman of the New York Submit that the deal was executed.

On the YES Community, Jack Curry broke down the gamers concerned, which embody 4 pitchers heading to San Diego: Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vasquez. Catcher Kyle Higashioka can be on his option to San Diego.

Along with Soto, outfielder Trent Grisham can be headed to the Bronx:

The transfer was largely anticipated, given the place the Padres at present discover themselves in. Not solely does San Diego have various holes to fill on their roster — and because the commerce phrases point out, pitching is on the prime of that listing — however the Padres enter this offseason in a moderately precarious place.

The crew wanted to take out a short-term mortgage again in September to assist cowl payroll, in response to The Athletic, a step which got here within the wake of some huge monetary selections by the group. As famous within the piece from The Athletic, final offseason the Padres signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million deal, however that was not the one huge transfer. San Diego signed pitcher Yu Darvish a six-year, $108 million extension, and baseman Manny Machado to an 11-year, $350 million contract.

Again in January, the crew signed Soto to a one-year deal value $23 million. Whereas that allowed the Padres to keep away from arbitration — which might have seen his deal price the crew much more — he was set to grow to be a free agent following this season.

Making this transfer permits San Diego to deal with different wants on their roster, whereas additionally serving to get their monetary home so as.

However what does this imply for each Soto, and the Yankees?

From New York’s perspective, the deal makes full sense. The Yankees are coming off a down season, that noticed them end 82-80, and in fourth place within the AL East. That was their worst end within the division since 1992, when George H.W. Bush was within the White Home and 7 groups — Toronto, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Boston, and the Yankees — comprised the division.

The strain is on in New York to show issues round instantly, and Soto is not only an enormous addition, however he fills a obtrusive want: Left-handed energy. Final season New York’s lineup was closely reliant on right-handed energy. The highest-five dwelling run hitters in New York a season in the past — Aaron Choose, Gleyber Torres, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Volpe, and DJ LeMahieu — all hit from the proper aspect of the dish. It is just whenever you get to Anthony Rizzo, who hit 12 dwelling runs final season to rank sixth on the crew, whenever you encounter a left-handed bat.

Whereas the crew added a lefty bat already this offseason, buying and selling for Alex Verdugo earlier this week, he provides one other 13 dwelling runs to the lineup from final season.

Soto is a unique story.

Including Soto now forces opposing managers to should play issues a bit of in a different way in end-game conditions. As an alternative of counting on right-handed pitchers in these conditions, they could have to make use of a couple of extra pitchers, and play matchups a bit extra. That may not be an enormous distinction in single-game conditions, however over the course of a sequence — and in a possible seven-game playoff sequence — working the opposing pen as a lot as attainable issues.

Plus, it’s not like Soto struggles to hit lefties. Over his profession he has posted a .266/.376/.460 slash line towards left-handed pitchers, together with 43 dwelling runs. That does lag behind his numbers towards right-handed pitchers, however not dramatically.

Including Soto additionally provides the Yankees a hitter that may lastly take advantage of the quick porch in proper discipline at Yankee Stadium. Whereas Soto can hit for energy to all fields, contemplate this. Right here is his spray chart from the 2023 season, courtesy of Baseball Savant:

As you’ll be able to see, 21 of his 35 dwelling runs from final season got here to both right- or right-center discipline.

Now, due to Baseball Savant’s useful “Illustrator” instrument, let’s drop that spray chart from 2023 into Yankee Stadium:

All of the sudden, lots of these outs, and further base hits, are dwelling runs at Yankee Stadium.

Positive, not all of these shall be hit at Yankee Stadium subsequent yr, however there may be potential for Soto to place up enormous numbers taking part in 81 video games in these pleasant confines. To that time, in simply seven video games at Yankee Stadium over his profession — and solely 28 plate appearances — he has 4 dwelling runs.

For instance, again in Could of this yr Soto homered to proper at Yankee Stadium, sending this no-doubter deep into the bleachers:

Plus, from the participant’s perspective, this can be a likelihood to play on maybe baseball’s greatest stage, simply as he’s coming into the prime of his profession. And in a ballpark that could possibly be tailored for his swing.

In fact, there may be the caveat that Soto nonetheless has one yr remaining on his deal, however one would imagine New York would make a push to signal him to an extension sooner moderately than later.

The Yankees are underneath strain to show issues round instantly, and Soto provides them an opportunity to meet that activity. All whereas taking part in half his video games in a park that could possibly be good for his recreation.

Which makes it the right pairing of participant, and crew.