FanSided MLB insider: Padres in play for Juan Soto, Ian Happ

The San Diego Padres have reportedly been trying to land Washington Nationals star Juan Soto and Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ by the trade deadline. MLB insider Robert Murray suggested that the Padres may be in position to land them.

The Padres have several prospects and players they could use in an enticing trade package for Soto. The Nationals are continuously making it difficult for other teams to land the 2022 Home Run Derby champion, so it will take some strategy and great players to create a deal deemed worthy.

The Padres could offer prospects Robert Hassell III, Eguy Rosario or Luis Campusano as part of a trade package for Soto.

Padres may also land Cubs outfielder Ian Happ

According to Murray, Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ has also come up in conversation and could be a great fit in San Diego

Happ may be a much easier target than Soto and he’d have a positive impact on the team. He’s hitting well this season at .282/.366/.446 for an OPS of .812.

Murray wrote:

Outfielder Ian Happ has been connected to the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays and is a strong candidate to be traded, sources said. Happ, soon-to-be 28, is under contract through 2023 and as a switch-hitter who thrives swinging from the left side

Happ would play extremely well alongside the Padres best outfielder Jurickson Profar. Profar is hitting .239/.342/.392 for an OPS of .734. The two hit with roughly the same power.

Happ would also be much more budget-friendly in San Diego than Soto. Happ is currently on a $6.85 million contract and is eligible for free agency in 2024.

Soto is currently worth nearly three times that and will likely be worth even more before being traded. He’s on a $17.1 million contract and is eligible for free agency in 2025. The Nationals tried to offer him a 15-year $440 million extension, which would’ve been the largest contract in MLB history. Soto turned it down.