3 New York Mets players the San Diego Padres should demand in a Juan Soto trade

Payroll has been a hot topic of discussion surrounding the San Diego Padres in the 2023 season. The Friars spent more money than they ever had, only to find themselves on the heels of being eliminated from postseason contention before we reach October.

The season has been a failure of epic proportions in large part because of the monstrous payroll. The Padres payroll will once again be a hot topic of discussion this offseason, as San Diego reportedly plans on making huge cuts from where they currently stand. Ownership can't really be faulted as they did everything they could to deliver a World Series championship to San Diego, but the team failed.

Losing guys like Blake Snell and Josh Hader in free agency feel like a given now with this latest report. Assuming the Padres don't want that payroll to elevate to massive levels again following the 2024 season, Juan Soto will be out the door too. The Padres can't get anything in return for Snell or Hader, but selling Juan Soto while they can would not only get them closer to where they want to be financially, but he'll bring back a nice haul that would help make San Diego more well-rounded.

A team that could be one to watch in a potential Juan Soto trade would be the New York Mets who not only have the prospect capital to get a deal done, but they have the game's richest owner who has shown he's willing to pay the right people. If a trade with the Mets would go down this offseason, the Padres would need at least one, and probably multiple of these three players back for it to make any sense.