3 Mets players the Padres would have no interest adding in a Juan Soto trade
Think again if your ideal Mets trade for Juan Soto includes any of these three.
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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.
2) Mark Vientos
An ex-Mets prospect who has now graduated to major leaguer in terms of service time, Mark Vientos is another one of those guys the team could be looking to deal away. It’s as obvious as it is with Parada with a twist. Vientos isn’t necessarily blocked at any position. That’s because he has no position.
A former third baseman now looking more like a first baseman or DH, his trade value is based on what he can accomplish at the plate. So far, he hasn’t done much at the major league level. He’s a .205/.255/.354 hitter in 81 games. The power numbers did finally make an appearance late last year. It hardly makes him a high-value trade candidate. Blame the lack of defensive skill and high strikeout totals.
Vientos would probably need to be the third-best player the Mets surrender in a deal for Soto. He’s an imperfect fit on anyone’s roster. He hasn’t done nearly enough to prove he deserves an everyday roster spot at the major league level even in a DH platoon situation.
The Padres should have little interest in a player like Vientos. A lower ranked pitcher on the farm the scouts like would make much more sense. What about a position player actually capable of playing the field whose bat might have upside?
Parada and Vientos can at least make some sense for the Padres even if they aren’t on the wishlist. Completely absent is this final player.
3) Starling Marte or mostly any other expensive major leaguer
Let’s first thank the inspiration for this post and give a shout out to Carlos Baerga who took an awful trade proposal and shared it on Instagram.
Included in this mock trade for Soto is Starling Marte. What use would the Padres have for him? It’s understandable that they’d look to replace Soto on the roster. Marte’s contract would probably mean the Mets are paying a large portion if not all of it. The dire straits the Padres are in right now don’t make them a landing spot for any new bad deals. Without top-level prospects to justify taking on a player such as Marte, this deal makes very little sense.
The Mets don’t have too many other expensive major leaguers to conceivably throw in a deal for Soto. They’re either players the Mets shouldn’t be trading or aren’t really fits for the Padres. The whole idea of moving Soto in the first place is to clear out some salary space. You don’t do this by taking on other contracts along the way.
If your mock trade includes more than prospects or affordable young major leaguers, think again. San Diego may be motivated to trade Soto this offseason. It’s not going to happen with someone like Marte involved.
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