2022 MLB trade deadline rumours: Which teams are most likely to trade for Juan Soto?

On the back of the rather unsurprising news that the Yankees have picked up Andrew Benintendi from the Royals, there are still a few big names yet to have trade deals finalized.

The Chicago Cubs All-Star veteran catcher Willson Contreras is one of the best bats in the league and is highly coveted by the Astros, while Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo is on everyone’s wish list, with the Dodgers in pole position to nab him.

But no player, no name is bigger, no star burns brighter than the 23-year-old Dominican outfielder Juan Soto. He turned down a $440 million, 15-year deal offered by Washington, a contract that would have been the biggest in MLB history.

It would seem on the face of things that the closer we get to the trade deadline, the less likely it is that Soto will be traded. The Nationals are quite rightly asking for a huge payoff, perhaps the biggest that has ever been demanded in baseball, but there are rumblings that a deal is tantalizingly close, with the Cardinals being the current favorites to land him.

Of course, nothing is ever done until everything is done, but St Louis are not the only game in town. Industry insider Jeff Passan has described the offer made by the Yankees as “generous, perhaps the most generous” of the offers for the young talent. But received wisdom is that the Dodgers will make a last-second play that will blow everyone else out of the water at the buzzer.

While the Yankees are still in the hunt, it seems clear that they are not the front-runners, despite the reputed generosity of their offer. And while everyone in MLB circles seem to favor the Cardinals as the ultimate landing spot, the Padres are just as often mentioned as a possibility.

San Diego have reportedly put shortstop CJ Abrams, left-handed starting pitchers MacKenzie Gore and Adrian Morejon, plus prospects Robert Hassell III and Joshua Mears on the block for Soto, making their offer an extremely viable one.

Two teams that have to be considered in this race are Atlanta and the New York Mets. The Mets have been aggressive in their acquisitions and with an owner who has the deepest pockets in the league, they can afford almost any contract Soto wants.

They are rumored to be after a power-hitting outfielder and are front-runners in trade deals for the Red Sox’s JD Martinez. Also, simply because you have money, that doesn’t mean that you want to spend it. If the Mets can get the production they need from a cheaper player, they may go that direction instead.

And then there are the Atlanta Braves. Not on anyone’s radar ten days ago, they are now a force to be reckoned with. They have cap space and for back-to-back trips to the World Series, they won’t mind dipping their toe over the line. With their big outfield bats depleted through injury, they are on the hunt for a game-changing signing. As an organization that is unafraid to look long-term for their payoffs, they must be in the reckoning for Juan Soto.

With my Texas Rangers fan hat on, it would not be too surprising if the Rangers made a play on Soto. They love a slugger and with the loss of Joey Gallo to the Yankees, they could use a balancing act for Adolis Garcia, and Texas are not averse to signing big deals.

We will find out over the next few days where Soto ends up, and if I were a betting man, I would put my money on Atlanta, no matter what the Yankees offer.