The Juan Soto sweepstakes were heating up as they reached their final day, at least in the trade deadline period.
Three teams had been in the mix for him since the start, those being the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals.
San Diego and St. Louis have been listed as the favorites with the Dodgers lurking in the shadows.
But as the pursuit of Soto entered its final day, we had a pretty good idea about where he might end up.
One insider tweeted that the Padres were the most likely landing spot, with Josh Bell also being a possibility.
As the trade deadline approaches, there is a growing sense that the Padres are the most likely landing spot for Juan Soto — and, in a twist, perhaps Josh Bell too. Multiple people have heard there’s momentum in those talks.
— Barry Svrluga (@barrysvrluga) August 2, 2022
Sure enough, he is headed to San Diego alongside Bell.
MLB insider Jon Morosi broke the news that will change MLB.
Sources: #Padres and #Nationals have agreed in principle on a Juan Soto trade, with Josh Bell also going to San Diego. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 2, 2022
Padres Well Positioned For A Run
The Padres are now instant World Series favorites, even with the Dodgers miles ahead of them in the NL West.
Sources: #Nats are set to receive CJ Abrams, OF Robert Hassell III, OF James Wood, RHP Jarlin Susana for Juan Soto and Josh Bell. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 2, 2022
With Soto and Bell, it’s going to be hard to contain them, even for a team like the Dodgers.
It might spell certain doom for a team like the San Francisco Giants, who are well out of the race for the division title and slipping in the Wild Card standings.
We could see the Padres make a huge stretch run and give their fans a nice little flashback to 1998, the last time they reached the World Series.
They may now be unstoppable with this new lineup.
And with Fernando Tatis Jr. making his way back, we might begin to hear the rest of the baseball world cry “uncle.”
The Padres are in a great position to contend as they shake up MLB with this blockbuster move.
NEXT: The Padres Have Transformed The Roster At A Rapid Pace