3 Blue Jays players the Padres should demand in a Juan Soto trade

Much of the discussion this offseason has revolved around where Shohei Ohtani will sign, and rightfully so. He's without a doubt the best player in the game today, and will be paid like it. While San Diego Padres fans are definitely plugged into the Ohtani sweepstakes (mainly to find a reason why he won't join the Dodgers), they're even more plugged into the biggest name on the trade market, Juan Soto.

It feels like a matter of when, not if, Juan Soto is going to be traded this offseason. It's the only feasible way the Padres can save some money while also remaining competitive. Considering the fact that there's virtually no chance the team realistically keeps him around past this season, getting a haul for him while they can is the best move A.J. Preller can make.

No, the Padres won't be getting back anything close to what they gave up to acquire Soto, but they'll undoubtedly still get a haul. I mean, this is Juan Soto we're talking about here. Even on an expiring deal, he's worth a ton.

The Yankees have been the favorites in a Soto trade for virtually the entire offseason so far, but talks between the two sides have broken down in recent days with a new favorite emerging — the Toronto Blue Jays. After another disappointing year, the Jays are poised to make a big splash this offseason. They're one of several teams still in on Shohei Ohtani. If they don't land him, there's no bigger splash they can make than pulling off a Soto trade.

For the Padres to entertain talks with the Blue Jays in a Soto deal, they should be demanding any combination of these three players.

1) The San Diego Padres should demand Ricky Tiedemann in a Juan Soto trade with the Blue Jays

Ricky Tiedemann is the most valuable piece the Padres can realistically get. No, as fun as it'd be, the Padres will not be acquiring Bo Bichette or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in a Soto trade. That'd just make no sense.

It's been rumored that the Padres are looking for pitching in a Soto deal. Tiedemann might not be ready immediately on Opening Day, but he should be able to contribute in 2024 at the big league level if he stays healthy, and is one of the best pitching prospects in all of baseball.

The southpaw is the top prospect in Toronto's system and is ranked 31st overall according to MLB Pipeline. He's a top-five pitching prospect in the sport, and projects as a frontline starter in the future.

Tiedemann was limited to just 15 starts this past season as he dealt with a bicep injury, but he pitched well when healthy, posting a 3.68 ERA in 44 innings pitched. Command can elude him at times, but he fanned 82 batters in those innings, displaying elite stuff and strikeout potential. When he's on, he's virtually impossible to hit.

The 20-year-old made it up to Triple-A where he made one start, and then he dominated in his four Arizona Fall League outings. It remains to be seen whether Toronto is willing to include him in a deal for a rental, but if they are, the Padres must consider it. He's more valuable than any arm the Yankees are able to offer outside of Gerrit Cole (not happening).

2) The San Diego Padres should demand Alejandro Kirk in a Juan Soto trade with the Blue Jays

The catcher position was a weakness the Padres had to overcome for much of the season. Players like Austin Nola and Brett Sullivan really underwhelmed at the beginning of the season and contributed in a big way to this offense being so lackluster. Gary Sanchez really solidified things, but he's a free agent. Luis Campusano played well in limited action too, but he's far from proven.

With the catcher spot still an area where the Padres must improve in 2024, Alejandro Kirk makes a lot of sense as a potential target in a Blue Jays trade. With Toronto having two starting caliber catchers in Kirk and Danny Jansen, they should be fine to give one up in a Soto deal. Kirk makes more sense than Jansen for a couple of reasons.

First, Jansen is incredibly injury-prone while Kirk has stayed mostly healthy throughout his MLB career. Jansen has just one season in which he has played over 100 games and that came back in 2019. Jansen's inability to play in games has nothing to do with his performance. He simply can't stay healthy.

Another reason why Kirk is a better target for San Diego is the team control. Jansen, like Soto, is a free agent after the 2024 season while Kirk has two more years of additional control. Jansen is coming off a better season than Kirk, so perhaps the Jays will be fine parting with Kirk.

Kirk is coming off a down year, but was an All-Star and took home a Silver Slugger for his performance in 2022. He's just 25 years old, and is one of the more underrated contact hitters in the game. He doesn't walk much, but he also rarely ever strikes out. This past season, he drew 42 walks compared to just 45 strikeouts. He should be able to keep the line moving, while the Padres offense stalled in big spots last season.