Report: Giants' NL rival seen as front-runner to land Soto originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Juan Soto sweepstakes are full steam ahead and while the race for his services has yet to fully accelerate, it seems as if the Giants already are playing catchup.
After reportedly declining a massive 15-year, $440 million offer from the Washington Nationals, teams have been calling them to see what would net them Soto. As expected, the asking price is sky high, with the Nats wanting a combination of 4-5 players with low service time and top prospects for the generational talent.
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While the Giants are in a position to give the Nationals some of what they're looking for, it looks like an NL rival has pulled ahead in the race: The St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cardinals, with their combination of tantalizing prospects and serviceable young talent already on the big league roster, are seemingly front-runners to the 23-year-old Soto, The New York Post's Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman reported.
"The Cardinals line up for what the Nationals want - not just prospects, but young, controllable players already in the majors," the duo wrote.
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Outfielders Dylan Carlson (23), Harrison Bader (28), and Tyler O'Neill (27) along with infielders Nolan Gorman (22) and Brendan Donovan (25) are some young pieces already in the majors the Nationals could want in a deal.
The Cardinals also have a bevy of prospects the Nationals could insist be included in a trade: third baseman Jordan Walker (20), shortstop Masyn Winn (20), and pitcher Matthew Liberatore (22), with the latter already having some major league experience.
Aside from the Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners are the other teams known to be vying for Soto, per Heyman and Sherman.
The Giants, meanwhile, are seemingly all but out of the Soto sweepstakes. While they have talented young players in Logan Webb, Marco Luciano, Luis Matos, Heliot Ramos, Kyle Harrison, and Will Bednar, there is a relatively low chance the Giants will pull the trigger for Soto.
This makes sense considering any type of hypothetical trade for the young star will strip the Giants' farm system. While landing Soto would be a huge boost to the Giants, sometimes the best moves are the ones that aren't made.
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Whichever team lands Soto is hoping they will be able to surround him with enough pieces to compete in the short term as he becomes a free agent in 2025.
If not, it could be a long rebuilding process.
