St. Louis Cardinals: Predicting a potential Juan Soto trade

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 18: National League All-Star Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals celebrates after winning the 2022 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 18: National League All-Star Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals celebrates after winning the 2022 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 16: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals takes a swing during a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on July 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 16: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals takes a swing during a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on July 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

The Jordan Walker Package

While most of us would love to hold onto Jordan Walker, it is likely that the Nationals will all but demand he is in the deal. If that is the case, here is what that deal could look like.

Greg Simons (@GregSimonsSays)

Juan Soto for Jordan Walker, Matthew Liberatore, Zack Thompson, Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, and Tink Hence

The Nationals need everything, and if they’re dealing Soto, they’re asking for the moon.  And since Washington won’t care if they’re good in 2023 or ‘24, younger players should be their priority for acquisitions. 

This deal provides three very promising position players in Walker, Winn, and Burleson, along with three potential solid starting pitchers in Liberatore, Thompson, and Hence.  Would this package be enough to beat out the numerous other teams sure to be in hot pursuit of Soto?  I’m not sure, but it seems like a pretty good starting point, with a couple of tweaks possibly necessary to put the Cardinals over the top. 

Prospects are really nice, and they offer plenty of potential to dream on, but Soto is a future Hall of Famer right now, and he’s only 23.  Getting 2-1/2 seasons of his tremendous play – including three playoff runs – is worth the risk of those prospects working out.