I never really believed in the possibility of Juan Soto staying long term in San Diego. I always thought he was brought in to win in the short term.
But obviously, the year 2023 (bad season in San Diego, death of the owner, etc.) forced the club to review its plans for the future.
And that forced AJ Preller, reluctantly, to trade his star to the Yankees.
Because the Padres are still trying to win in 2024, it hurts the club's chances in the short term. It also hurts Fernando Tatis Jr. Because yes, the latter is sad to see his friend leave.
Tatis Jr. mentioned that it was difficult for him to say goodbye to Soto and know that they would no longer play together for the time being.
For now? Does he want to talk about playing together for the Dominican Republic in international competitions? Because Soto, I don’t see him coming back to San Diego in 2025…
On the other hand, Tatis Jr. believes that for Soto, this is the best way for him to get his millions of dollars.
He also wishes him health and to continue hitting home runs.
I wonder why he thinks his best chance of making money is elsewhere. After all, it would have tested the autonomy market in 2024-2025 whether it was traded or not.
Does he think the Yankees will be more willing to give Soto money if he spent the 2024 season in town? Maybe yes.
But OK. We agree that for Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres, playing without Soto won't be as fun, but the club can try to win anyway.
For that, however, the launchers will have to be there.
