San Diego Padres Acquire All-Star Juan Soto & Josh Bell In Blockbuster Trade

August 2, 2022

The San Diego Padres have made a deal to acquire All-Star outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Luke Voit and several other young players.

The Padres trade with the Washington Nationals will send left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfielder Robert Hassell III, shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielder James Wood, right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana and designated hitter/first baseman Luke Voit to the Nationals in exchange for Soto and Bell.

The 23-year-old Juan Soto is a two-time All-Star and the winner of this year's Home Run Derby. He is eligible to become a free agent after the 2024 season and reportedly turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension offer from the Nationals in mid-July, which would have been the largest contract in baseball history. 

It was previously reported that Eric Hosmer was headed to the Nationals as a means of offsetting his bloated salary. Prior to the 2018 season, the San Diego Padres signed Eric Hosmer to a massive eight-year deal worth $144 million, at the time the largest contract in Padres history. Hosmer had 10-team no-trade clause with The Nationals as one of the clubs he could block, and it was reported he rejected the trade. Hosmer was thereafter traded to the Boston Red Sox.

Yesterday, on the eve of Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, the Padres dealt pitchers Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet and outfielder Esteury Ruiz, as well as minor leaguer Robert Gasser, to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for their All-Star closing pitcher Josh Hader. Hader leads the league in saves with 29.