Report: ‘Don’t sleep’ on Giants trading for Soto originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Don’t sleep on the Giants.
The Juan Soto trade rumors had nearly diminished in the Bay, as rivals like the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals set themselves apart as the three frontrunners to land the Washington Nationals’ 23-year-old superstar.
But on Monday morning, entering the final stretch before Tuesday’s 3 pm PT deadline, the Giants have reportedly reemerged as a dark horse to trade for Soto.
“That might sound a little curious, because of course they are in the mode of potentially moving out some veteran players like Carlos Rodón, maybe a Brandon Belt,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported Monday. “But remember where this team is. They’ve gotten a little bit older. They no longer have Buster Posey; they pursued Bryce Harper in recent years and were not able to get him.
“In particular, the Giants need star power. So I could see — if they move quickly — [making] a move where Rodón or Belt go out, replenish the farm system. Think of it almost a three-way deal with a bit of lag time in between to make this happen where you bring in the prospects, repackage, regroup and make your best offer to the Nationals.
“Don’t sleep on the Giants. … I do think they have a seat at the table.”
San Francisco already has a group of promising prospects like shortstop Marco Luciano, left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison and outfielder Luis Matos to offer the Nationals. That core of young talent is competitive with what the Padres, Dodgers and Cardinals have to offer.
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But acquiring more minor-league talent at the deadline for players like Rodón and Joc Pederson, both on expiring contracts (as Rodón will likely decline his 2023 player option), and including them in a trade for Soto would give president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi a few more chips to work with instead of sending the franchise’s entire future to Washington and leaving Soto with little young talent around him.
The Giants might not be contenders this season, but Zaidi is not one to host a complete fire sale of the roster. Trading away pieces like Rodón and Pederson to beef up the team’s Soto offer would be a crafty move, and one San Francisco fans would welcome if it means the Bay would land baseball’s brightest young star.
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