Just yesterday, I reported on why the Padres didn’t need to trade Juan Soto, now it appears that the Yankees are closing in on a trade. At least per reports from the NY Post’s Jon Heyman.

However, no deal is official as of now. The trade is pending physicals. Even after, the Yankees had acquired Alex Verdugo from their AL East Rival Boston Red Sox. They still seem adamant on going after Soto.

A couple of days ago, it was perceived that the two sides were far away from a deal on Soto. This morning, those trade talks had picked up. Per a report from Jack Curry of the YESNetwork, the deal that is being discussed will send Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees in exchange for Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

As it appears, that is likely the trade. Jon Morosi has confirmed it. Everyone except Thorpe, who is the No. 5 prospect in the Yankees organization, has seen action in the big leagues. There are still some minor details that need to be worked out.

Soto, 25, is already one of the most accomplished in baseball today. While, the Padres will be losing his bat, they’ll also be picking up some much-needed pitching depth while clearing some payroll for the 2024 season. It’s clear that Soto does not want to sign an extension and would like to reach the best deal possible in the 2025 offseason. He could be just a rental for the Yankees, so the high price could be costly if they don’t win the World Series this season.

The Padres may lose Blake Snell, so the pitching depth is a great addition. King may be the most resourceful pitcher to the Padres now. He can both start or come out of the bullpen, wherever needed. He does an amazing job at both pitching to a 2.75 ERA last season. Brito becomes another intriguing pitcher in that sense, though he started more games and was used primarily as an opener.

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