This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato's Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
For as drastic of an overhaul as the one the Nationals pulled off last season at the Trade Deadline, there is the possibility an even more massive deal could be completed in Washington, D.C., by 6 p.m. ET next Tuesday, Aug. 2.
All eyes in the baseball world have been on the Nats and star slugger Juan Soto since July 16, when news broke the Nationals would be open to trading the 23-year-old after he turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract extension. Soto does not become a free agent until after the 2024 season, but questions about his long-term future could be answered in less than a week.
In a recent MLB.com poll, front-office executives were split (eight yes and seven no) on the question of whether Soto will be traded by Aug. 2.
If the Nationals were to trade away the very player they shook up their roster to center their future around last July, they would have to acquire a bevy of young talent that has the potential to be as sturdy of a foundation.
As a reference point, the Nats landed Dodgers prospects Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz, Gerardo Carrillo and Donovan Casey in the megatrade for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner last year. Ruiz and Gray were Los Angeles’ top two prospects, and they were ranked No. 41 and No. 42 overall, respectively, by MLB Pipeline at the time.
“My assumption is it will be the best prospect package we’ve ever seen in a trade -- and rightfully so,” a National League general manager said, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. “It’s the best player, in their prime, with the most control that I can recall being moved, ever.”
Seventeen front-office executives polled by MLB.com answered the question: which three teams do you view as the favorites to trade for Soto? The Padres (eight votes) and Dodgers (seven votes) were projected as the top candidates. The Cardinals, Mariners, Mets, Rays and Yankees finished behind them with three votes apiece; the Giants received two votes; and the Blue Jays, Brewers, Cubs, Rangers and Red Sox each tallied one.
While a deal would likely also include young players who have Major League experience, let’s take a look at prospects. Among those aforementioned teams, the three highest-ranked prospects in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list are Mets Triple-A catcher Francisco Álvarez (No. 1), Blue Jays Triple-A catcher Gabriel Moreno (No. 5) and Cardinals Double-A third baseman Jordan Walker (No. 6).
When it comes to a potential package, of the frontrunners in the MLB.com poll, the Padres have three prospects ranked in MLB Pipeline's top 100 -- outfielder Robert Hassell III (No. 22), catcher Luis Campusano (No. 53) and outfielder James Wood (No. 89) -- and the Dodgers have six -- catcher Diego Cartaya (No. 12) right-hander Bobby Miller (No. 25), 2B/1B Michael Busch (No. 41), outfielder Andy Pages (No. 46), 3B/2B/1B Miguel Vargas (No. 69) and right-hander Ryan Pepiot (No. 74).
Of the other aforementioned clubs, the Rangers (six), Cardinals (five), and Yankees (five) have the highest total of top 100-ranked prospects.
This focus on young, emerging talents accentuates the fact Soto himself is only 23 and the centerpiece of what could be one of the biggest trades in baseball if a move is made by next Tuesday.