SAN DIEGO — The Padres on Tuesday pulled off one of the biggest deals in the history of Major League Baseball.
In return for what is widely considered to be an unprecedented haul of young talent, they acquired outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell from the Washington Nationals.
The 23-year-old Soto is roundly considered one of the best players in the majors, and in his first five seasons has put up numbers comparable to the all-time greats.
The cost to get the generational talent of Soto was steep. The Padres sent the Nationals six players, including three who were at one time ranked as the organization's top minor league prospect as well as veteran designated hitter Luke Voit.
Outfielder Robert Hassell III is currently the Padres' No. 1 prospect, according to MLB.com. Shortstop CJ Abrams and left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, who were on the major league team this season, were formerly ranked No. 1 in the Padres' system. Hassell is 20 years old, Abrams 21 and Gore 23.
The Padres also parted with 19-year-old outfielder James Wood, their No. 3 prospect, and 18-year-old pitcher Jarlin Susana, their No. 14 prospect.
Voit, acquired in a trade from the Yankees in March, is hitting .225/.317/.416 and was second on the Padres with 13 home runs. He was scheduled to start the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Rockies at Petco Park.
The initial deal also had the Nationals acquiring first baseman Eric Hosmer, but the veteran used his limited no-trade clause to veto his inclusion. The Padres subsequently traded Hosmer to the Boston Red Sox. The return from Boston was unclear, though it is known the Padres will pay the majority of the approximately $45 million owed Hosmer through 2025.
Not too far into the afternoon, the Padres sent highly-ranked minor league infielder Victor Acosta to the Cincinnati Reds for infielder Brandon Drury. The 29-year-old Drury has 20 home runs this season and has mostly played second and third base.
Tuesday's activity comes a day after the Padres traded with the Brewers to acquire major league saves leader Josh Hader.
Soto and Bell pump immediate unquestionable vigor into the Padres' anemic offense.
Soto is batting .246/.408/.485 with 21 home runs this season. Just three Padres have a higher batting average. He would lead the team in every other category. Bell would lead the team in batting average (.301) and be second in on-base percentage (.384) and home runs (14) and fourth in slugging percentage (.384).
Soto has a career OPS (on-base-plus-slugging-percentage) of .966 over five seasons (2,439 plate appearances). That ranks second in the majors behind the Angels' Mike Trout since the start of the 2018 season.
Soto's 159 career adjusted OPS ranks fourth since 2018. The Padres now have four of the top 19 players in adjusted OPS — with Fernando Tatis Jr. (160) at third and Manny Machado at 19th (136).
Soto's adjusted OPS is comparable to the game's all-time greats at the same age (minimum 1,500 at-bats). He is ranked sixth all-time in the metric (which takes OPS and adjusts it for factors that allow for a comparison across eras) behind Ted Williams (190), Ty Cobb (171), Mike Trout (169), Stan Musial (169) and Albert Pujols (165) in their age-23 seasons.
Soto is not a short-term rental, even if the Padres do not sign him to a long-term contract. He does not become a free agent until after the 2024 season. Bell is due to become a free agent after this season.
Soto is making $17.1 million this season, which means he is still due about $6 million in 2022. He is projected to make perhaps $60 million over the next two seasons, as he is in the final two years of arbitration eligibility. Bell is making $10 million this season, meaning almost $3.5 million is still due.
The Nationals began the process of trying to trade Soto after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract offer, which his agent reportedly said wasn't "in the range of consideration." Soto will be just 26 when he is scheduled to go to free agency, and he is likely looking at a deal that ranks among the highest in terms of average annual value. That would mean somewhere around the $43.3 million average in Trout's 12-year, $426.5 million deal signed in 2019.
One highly placed team source has insisted throughout the Padres' efforts to land Soto that the team has the means to sign him to a long-term contract. Regardless of whether they do, they have him for what can be considered three pennant races.
The Padres entered play Tuesday with a 58-46 record and trailed the Dodgers by 12 games in the National League West. But they hold the second of three NL wild-card playoff spots.
