The New York Yankees acquired superstar outfielder Juan Soto in a blockbuster seven-player trade, the team announced on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old comes to New York along with fellow outfielder Trent Grisham, while five players are headed in the opposite direction with the San Diego Padres. The pitchers are Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Johnny Brito, and Randy Vasquez, and the catcher is Kyle Higashioka.
MLB Pipeline, the league’s official portal for evaluating young players, lists Thorpe as the No. 99 prospect on its top 100 list. He finished the 2023 season on the disabled list due to a subluxation in his non-throwing shoulder.
Soto hit 275 with 35 home runs and 109 RBIs (RBIs) last season with San Diego and was a three-time All-Star.
Soto finished sixth in the National League MVP race after a great individual season with 132 walks in Major League Baseball (MLB).
“He’s the best offensive player of all time,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Soto before the trade was completed. “He’s an offensive player, both base-wise and power-wise, and he accomplished a lot at a young age.” Expected to finish the season with 82 wins and 80 losses, finishing 4th in the American League East Division.
After a disappointing 2023 — Soto could have a transformative impact on the Yankees’ prospects next season.
“He’s been one of the rock-solid players in our sport on the offensive side of the ball every year,” Boone said.
This is the second trade in recent days for the Yankees, who acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for three pitchers on Tuesday.
Soto and Verdugo will revamp the Bronx’s outfield, strengthening a lineup that includes sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
The Padres acquired Soto before the trade deadline during the 2022 MLB season from the Washington Nationals. Soto, heading into his seventh year in the big leagues, was a part of the 2019 World Series-winning Nationals squad.
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