Padres get Juan Soto, Josh Bell in trade with Nationals; Hosmer leaves in separate deal

The Padres on Tuesday pulled off one of the biggest deals in the history of Major League Baseball.

In return for what is widely considered to be an unprecedented haul of young talent, they acquired outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell from the Washington Nationals.

“Props to the San Diego Padres,” Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo told media in Washington, D.C. “They’re not afraid. A.J. Preller is not afraid.”

Preller, the Padres’ President of Baseball Operations, made five deals over the two days leading up to the MLB trade deadline, which passed at 3 p.m. Tuesday. In those transactions, the Padres sent away 15 players and acquired six.

Among the half-dozen players brought in, three have made at least one All-Star team.

Just getting Soto would have constituted a magnificent haul on its own.

The Padres announced the trade for Juan Soto and Josh Bell during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park Tuesday.

(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Soto, a 23-year-old Dominican, is roundly considered one of the best hitters in the majors, and in his first five seasons has put up numbers comparable to the game’s all-time greats.

The cost to get the generational talent was steep. The Padres sent the Nationals six players, including three who were at one time ranked as the organization’s top minor league prospect as well as veteran designated hitter Luke Voit.

“I know several of the guys that we traded, and it hurts,” Padres Chairman Peter Seidler said. “... But for Juan Soto, to the credit of the Nationals, we gave up a lot. But we’re very happy with the deal.”

Outfielder Robert Hassell III is currently the Padres’ No. 1 prospect, according to MLB.com. Shortstop CJ Abrams and left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, who were on the major league team this season, were formerly ranked No. 1 in the Padres’ system. Hassell is 20 years old, Abrams 21 and Gore 23.

The Padres also parted with 19-year-old outfielder James Wood, their No. 3 prospect and a player most teams they talked to wanted, and 18-year-old pitcher Jarlin Susana, their No. 14 prospect who became a linchpin of the deal for the Nationals.

Voit, acquired in a trade from the Yankees in March, is hitting .225 with a .317 on-base percentage and .416 slugging percentage and was second on the Padres with 13 home runs.

The initial deal had the Nationals acquiring first baseman Eric Hosmer instead of Voit, but Hosmer used his limited no-trade clause to veto his inclusion. The Padres subsequently traded Hosmer to the Boston Red Sox along with minor leaguers Corey Rosier and Max Ferguson and cash considerations (which is a significant portion of the approximately $44 million owed Hosmer through 2025). The Padres got minor left-hander Jay Groome in return.

The Padres also sent highly-ranked minor league infielder Victor Acosta to the Cincinnati Reds for infielder Brandon Drury. The 29-year-old Drury has 20 home runs this season and has mostly played second and third base.

The team sent outfielder Brent Rooker, who had spent most of the season in Triple-A, to the Kansas City Royals for catcher Cam Gallagher, who will be optioned to Triple-A.

Tuesday’s activity comes a day after the Padres traded with the Brewers to acquire major league saves leader Josh Hader.

Padres pitcher Josh Hader smiles at fans chanting his name after a game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on Tuesday.

(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The acquisitions won’t hurt at the gate. A crowd that Tuesday morning was projected to be around 35,000 for Wednesday’s game, when Soto and Bell will debut, is now a sellout with about 44,000 expected.

Soto and Bell also pump immediate unquestionable vigor into the Padres’ anemic offense, which is likely no more than two weeks from getting a further boost from the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. following his March wrist surgery.

“I think everybody has seen that offensively, especially with Tatis hurt, our team has for a lot of the first half ... been challenged,” Preller said.

Soto is batting .246/.408/.485 with 21 home runs this season. Just three Padres have a higher batting average. He would lead the team in every other category. Bell would lead the team in batting average (.301) and be second in on-base percentage (.384) and home runs (14) and fourth in slugging percentage (.384).

“You’re talking about one of the better hitters in the game for the last three or four or five years,” third baseman Manny Machado, the Padres’ leading hitter, said. “So add him to our lineup, Tati coming back being healthy. Bell has had an incredible last couple years as well. So just having him in the lineup is going to be completely different in the lineup for sure. A.J. and the staff did a pretty good job ... reinforcing this ballclub and making us better to go out and compete every single day, and we’re definitely looking forward for that.”

Soto has a career OPS (on-base-plus-slugging-percentage) of .966 over five seasons (2,439 plate appearances). That ranks second in the majors behind the Angels’ Mike Trout since the start of the 2018 season.

Soto’s 159 career adjusted OPS (which takes OPS and adjusts it for factors that allow for a comparison across eras) ranks fourth since 2018. The Padres now have three of the top 19 players in adjusted OPS — with Tatis (160) third and Machado 19^th (136).

Soto’s adjusted OPS is comparable to the game’s all-time greats at the same age (minimum 1,500 at-bats). He is ranked sixth all-time in the metric behind Ted Williams (190), Ty Cobb (171), Trout (169), Stan Musial (169) and Albert Pujols (165) in their age-23 seasons.

“I don’t even know how to answer that question,” Machado said when asked to describe how special Soto is as a player. “He’s Juan Soto. He does what he does every single day, every single year. … He’s showed it in the postseason, showed it in All-Star Games, the Home Run Derby (which he won last month). Just the way he posts up every single day.”

The Nationals began the process of trying to trade Soto in mid-July after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract offer, which his agent reportedly said wasn’t “in the range of consideration.” Soto will be just 26 when he is scheduled to go to free agency, and he is likely looking at a deal that ranks among the highest in terms of average annual value. That would mean somewhere around the $43.3 million average in Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million deal signed in 2019.

One highly placed team source has insisted throughout the Padres’ efforts to land Soto that the team has the means to sign him to a long-term contract. Regardless, they have him for what can be considered three pennant races.

“I think we’re looking at it as three years, three pennant races with one of the best hitters, maybe the best hitter in the game,” Preller said. “That’s a long time.”

After winning the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday, the Padres were 59-46 record and trailed the Dodgers by 11 1/2 games in the National League West. But they hold the second of three NL wild card playoff spots.

Soto does not become a free agent until after the 2024 season. Bell and Drury are due to become free agents after this season.

Soto is making $17.1 million this season, which means he is still due about $6 million in 2022. He is projected to make perhaps $60 million over the next two seasons, as he is in the final two years of arbitration eligibility. Bell is making $10 million this season, meaning almost $3.5 million is still due. Drury is making $900,000.

The moves pushed the Padres an estimated $12 million above the $230 million Competitive Balance Tax. They will pay a 30 percent tax on their overage and also may not receive the same draft pick compensation for some players they lose in free agency in the offseason.

“We have lines and limits,” Preller said. “... But I think if if you’re going to do a deal like this, you’re talking about a 23-year-old player that has won a World Series, won a batting title, done some things historically at that age, I think we’re all on the same page. We sat down and talked about what it would mean to our franchise.”