In baseball, teams are always looking to improve. That’s precisely what the 2022 San Diego Padres wanted to do. In the hope of winning their first World Series, the Padres decided to trade for superstar outfielder Juan Soto. However, this horrible trade continues to age poorly for San Diego.
What Did the Nationals Get Again? Oh Yeah, Their Whole Team
The Padres Receive: Juan Soto, Josh Bell
In return for a haul of prospects, the Padres traded for Soto and Josh Bell in hopes of making a deep run in the playoffs. Soto was already a future hall of famer at the time of the trade while Bell was in his prime. However, regardless of the trade for the best part of the Nat’s team, Soto underperformed while Bell fell off a cliff with San Diego. After 2022, Bell was no longer a Padre while Soto would return for a bounce back 2023 season. The only problem?
The Padres didn’t even make the postseason, wasting their potential with Soto and then trading him to the Yankees. The trade that was meant to make the Padres into a powerhouse fell flat on the floor.
The Nationals Receive: CJ Abrams, Mackenzie Gore, James Wood, Robert Hassell III, Jarlin Susana, and Luke Voit
Wow. CJ Abrams has been good and already has an All-Star appearance. Mackenzie Gore leads the league in strikeouts. James Wood has 12 home runs already this season. Robert Hassell III has quite the ceiling. Overall, it is easy to see why the Nationals would have accepted this trade. Abrams, Wood, and Gore are all stars or even superstars in the making. Hassell III himself was the No. 21 prospect at the time, showing the stupidness in the trade.
The Nationals Look Dangerous
As a result of this trade and other trades as well, the Nat’s look like a force to be reckoned with later. Not only did Washington get a massive haul from the Padres that San Diego now regrets massively, Washington also has been able to put together a team. Dylan Crews remains to be a great young player while the Nationals still like what they see from players like Kerbert Ruiz.
Now, the Nationals can’t beat the New York Mets or Philadelphia Phillies. However, in the future it looks like they might very well be able to. Why? Because of this beautiful trade with San Diego that definitely makes the Padres look stupid.
What Was the Lasting Result for San Diego?
The only good thing that came from the trade for Soto was Michael King and another mediocre starting pitcher. Even the trade from the Padres to the New York Yankees seems to be one that San Diego regrets. San Diego failed to acquire the prospects or even good players they would have wanted from the deal.
King for Abrams, Wood, Hassell, and Gore is a terrible thing, which is basically what resulted from the Padres’ reckless trade. Even then, the one big player, King, is a free agent next season. San Diego will regret this trade for years to come.
All in all, I mean, what could one expect when you trade for a superstar? However, the Padres somehow managed to give the Nationals a perfect situation that is really hard to do. The one lasting impact for San Diego isn’t enough to make up for the trade. Even though we all know that today San Diego is an amazing team, it still wouldn’t hurt to have these players back. This trade might just be one of the worst in MLB history.
Main Image: © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
