Fans of San Diego, turn away. The New York Yankees’ official Spring Training participant is Juan Soto.
The Padres’ winter trade of Soto to New York was their biggest splash. Even if the star outfielder was acquired by the Padres for a nice haul of young pitchers, it doesn’t hurt to see him sporting the uniform of a different team.
Although Soto played a significant role in the Padres’ success over the previous two seasons, years of careless spending caused the organization to part ways. In an effort to reduce payroll, the front office started the offseason with Soto as the primary casualty.
The Padres still have a ways to go, as demonstrated by the trade of Soto.
Despite all the other difficulties the Padres faced, Soto had an outstanding season. He participated in every one of San Diego’s 162 games, hitting.275 with 35 home runs and 109 RBI. For a considerable amount of time, he kept the Padres in the playoff hunt, and many fans were sad to see him go. With Soto gone, the Padres have moved on, and excitement for the next season is back.
Still, it’s difficult to ignore the possibility of what this squad might have looked like under his leadership. It was unexpected that he would leave the team so quickly, but for the time being, the only course of action is to put your trust in the front office.
