3 Mets players the Padres would have no interest adding in a Juan Soto trade

The dream New York Mets blockbuster trade for Juan Soto doesn’t seem very likely to happen this offseason. Hey, we can wait until he becomes a free agent. That’s where the Mets have the upperhand on everyone else.

It won’t stop speculation about the Mets making their best offer to San Diego. In dire financial straits, the Padres may need to listen to some offers for their star outfielder if they want to build the team differently.

Everyone has their own mock trade for Soto they’d be willing to make. If yours includes any of these names, scratch them off. The Padres will have no interest.

1) Kevin Parada

Mets fans hoping for Kevin Parada to help headline a Juan Soto trade are out of luck. One needs to merely look over at what the Padres farm system looks like to realize he isn’t so tempting. Sitting atop their list of top prospects is 17-year-old catcher Ethan Salas. Yeah, he’s a few years away. He may not even end up as a major league catcher. Nevertheless, Parada is more of an addition in any trade for Soto than a headliner.

Parada didn’t do much to increase his trade value this past season. He was drafted by the Mets in 2022 with a ton of hype following a huge year at Georgia Tech. Unfortunately, he has been a somewhat “blah” prospect thus far.

The 2023 numbers come from a couple of different levels in the minors. Parada made it to Double-A where he’ll need much more than the 14 games he played at the end of year. In a season spent mostly with High-A Brooklyn, Parada was a .248/.324/.428 hitter. He added 14 home runs and 23 doubles.

There isn’t a more obvious Mets prospect who could get dealt because of the position he plays. As far as a trade involving Soto goes, there isn’t a great need for the Padres to desire him.