In an off-season that lives up to its name, being more than dead, the transaction that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees from the San Diego Padres was one of the only highlights of the 'winter.
And one of the players involved in the trade, Gunner Michael King, believes his new team had the upper hand in the transaction.
I continue to praise Padres general manager AJ Preller and I feel confident in saying that I feel like the Padres won the trade. Obviously it's Juan Soto, so you have to give up a lot of players, but I was excited to see who came with me to San Diego. I know they will contribute this year and for years to come.
The right-hander, who was coming off a great season in the Bronx, was sent out to the hot California sun with catcher Kyle Higashioka and a trio of young pitchers consisting of Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and prospect Drew Thorpe.
The senior is excited to see not only what he can do as a full-time member of a starting rotation, but also what his sidekicks can bring to the table as well.
I don't know Thorpe very well, but I've watched some videos and if you look at his stats you know he's going to be excellent. And the potentials of Brito and Vasquez are exponential. I've seen them grow over the past year and their work is incredible.
It's one thing to believe that the return in this trade is excellent, it's another to think that the Padres had the upper hand when the Bombers got their hands on one of the best hitters in MLB, and this, at only 25 years old.
The series between the two teams next May will therefore be very interesting to follow.
