Redbird Rants
FanSided

St. Louis Cardinals reportedly finalists in the Juan Soto sweepstakes

By Josh Jacobs

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 28: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres talks with Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 28, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 28: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres talks with Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 28, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
WEST PALM BEACH, FL – MARCH 16: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals in action against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training baseball game at Fitteam Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on March 16, 2019 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL – MARCH 16: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals in action against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training baseball game at Fitteam Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on March 16, 2019 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

St. Louis Cardinals aggressive in their Juan Soto pursuit

For as much flack as President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak gets for not making bigger moves, he has been one of the most aggressive players in the Soto sweepstakes.

While the team is on the phones with other clubs about starting pitching, they are also very much lurking as a prime destination for the Nationals’ young star. There are still multiple reasons to believe the deal can get done here soon.

First, the Cardinals do have the best packages to offer. We talked about what their offer appears to look like this week, and it’s as strong as any. Even without including Jordan Walker in a deal, St. Louis could easily outbid San Diego and other would be suitors.

They also appear willing to take on Patrick Corbin, and although there are conflicting reports about whether the Nationals want to attach him, such a move should be intriguing to them. The Padres have a multitude of large contracts already, and appear like they’d rather shed some salary outside of bringing in Soto, so taking on Corbin’s contract would be a huge surprise in SD.

San Diego also appears to be big game hunting for other young stars, namely Shohei Ohtani, meaning St. Louis may be able to put an offer out for Soto that causes the Padres to turn their attention to Ohtani. If St. Louis plays their cards right, they may end up with the superstar without having to overpay. All eyes are on San Diego and what they are willing to do.

Home/Site News