SF Giants wives react to the prospect of a Juan Soto trade

The prospect of a Juan Soto trade is unlikely, but Buster Olney of ESPN stoked a flame when he reported that the Washington Nationals might be "motivated" to move the left-handed slugger this season. This stirred a reaction from a number of people including a pair of SF Giants' wives.

SF Giants wives react to the prospect of a Juan Soto trade

Who wouldn't want one of the best players in baseball on their team? The answer is no one and the recruiting has already begun. Jalynne Crawford was the first of the Giants' wives to make a pitch:

However, she was not the only one. Ashley Rodón, who has quickly become a fan favorite like
Jalynne, chimed in as well:

It is not often that a player of Soto's caliber is even available in trade talks. The closest player that comes to mind was Mookie Betts in 2020. However, the stars could align for the Nationals to move on from their star outfielder.

The first factor is that Washington is seemingly in the midst of a long rebuild after being one of the top teams in the National League for the better part of a decade. This included an impressive World Series victory against the Houston Astros in 2019.

However, it has been downhill for the Nationals since then as Max Scherzer and Trea Turner departed via a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Patrick Corbin has struggled mightily since then and the left-handed hurler is still owed $60 million after this season. Lastly, Stephen Strasburg has battled multiple injuries in recent years and has not thrown a pitch yet in 2022.

Soto is under team control for two more seasons after this one, so his trade value will likely not get any higher. The Nationals have engaged in extension talks in the past, but discussions never became serious.

Plus, the Lerner family is reportedly considering selling the team, so an extension would not make a ton of sense at this point in time. It is possible that Soto is wearing a different uniform in the next couple of seasons.

The left-handed bat is off to yet another strong start, slashing .254/.387/.478 (156 OPS+) with eight home runs, 11 RBI, and 26 runs in 168 plate appearances. He offers a combination of plate discipline and power that is truly rare in baseball history.

If a team were to trade for the 23-year-old outfielder, it would take a substantial amount in terms of prospect capital. The hope is that Soto would be open to an extension before reaching free agency, but that remains uncertain, so there is an element of risk as well. He makes sense for a team like the Giants and every other team in baseball, and there are already a couple of key voices calling for a trade.