What would it have taken for the Dodgers to get Juan Soto from the Nats? To beat out the Padres, LA would have had to give up a bunch of major prospects.
The Dodgers were one of the finalists in the battle to make a blockbuster trade for Juan Soto, who ultimately went to the Padres.
San Diego gave up six players, including their No. 1, 3 and 14 prospects, to get Soto and first baseman Josh Bell.
While Los Angeles didn’t get the young superstar, there is still plenty of curiosity around what it would have taken to make the trade happen. Thanks to J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group, we have an idea.
Dodgers would have had to give up 6-7 prospects for Juan Soto
On the Bleav in Dodgers podcast, Hoornstra reported an interaction of the trade demands the Nationals had for LA.
“According to my sources, it was a package of six or seven prospects,” Hoornstra said. “The headliners were Diego Cartaya and Bobby Miller who are respectively the top position player and the top pitcher in the Dodgers’ system.”
A source who saw one version of the trade said Washington was after additional top-five Dodger prospects.
“So think about guys like Ryan Pepiot [No. 6 RHP], Gavin Stone [No. 7 RHP], Miguel Vargas [No. 5 IF], Andy Pages [No. 4 OF], Michael Busch [No. 3 IF],” Hoornstra said. “Maybe two or three out of that group plus another two or three wild card prospects — guys who are not as highly ranked as the aforementioned group, but guys the Nationals liked for one reason or another.”
Put that all together and you get a package including no fewer than four of LA’s top seven prospects, including the top two, with another two or three lower-rated prospects thrown in.
The Dodgers would have essentially had to sell the farm to acquire Soto.
Some will say it would have been worth it given Soto’s age and immense talent. Others will disagree and argue one player isn’t worth that kind of haul.
In the end, those arguments are irrelevant. Soto is a Padre and the Dodgers’ focus is now firmly on winning a World Series with the guys they have.