Padres may have to get creative to acquire Nationals Juan Soto

The San Diego Padres are reportedly among one of the favorites to land Juan Soto, but they will have to impress the Washington Nationals to do so.

The Nationals aren’t going to let Soto go easily. He’s their best player and they recently offered him a 15-year $440 million extension that he turned down. The extension would’ve been the largest in MLB history.

The Nationals are open to trade proposals, but they’re driving up Soto’s price and will likely require a huge trade package with several top prospects to come to a deal.

According to Steve Baker at Yardbarker, there may not be much room financially for the Padres to add to their roster.

“Agents I have spoken to who talked with the Padres late in the offseason said the team indeed suggested there was no real room to add to the Major League payroll, given their proximity to the tax line.” -Steve Baker, via Yardbarker

The Padres have several prospects and a few players they may be able to put together as an enticing trade package to create room for Soto.

The Padres may be able to create a good trade package for Nationals star Juan Soto

The Padres have done extremely well in the past few drafts. Among some of their top prospects, Luis Campusano, Robert Hassell III and Eguy Rosario would probably be some of the best players to offer.

They could also add a few players currently on the roster. Rookie MacKenzie Gore may be a good offer in the package. He started the season well on the mound, and the Nationals desperately need to improve their pitching.

The Nationals have the second-worst ERA (5.17) among all MLB teams. They’ve produced the most home runs and third-most walks. They have the second-worst on-base average (.268) and WHIP (1.46).

Gore’s performance has gotten worse over July, but his early-season performance showed potential.

Rookie shortstop C.J. Abrams could also be a good addition. Abrams made his MLB debut this season and didn’t start well, but he quickly found his potential. In July, he’s hitting .300/.313/.433. He’s on track to being a great player, and the Nationals may find high value in him.