Report: Juan Soto to Yankees Picks Up Steam, Now Very “Likely”

Just when it seemed like it was dead in the water earlier this week, it now appears that the New York Yankees are very close to acquiring Juan Soto in a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres. 

Big news today: Juan Soto to the Yankees is gaining momentum, per this @JackCurryYES report. https://t.co/72UiLLFKtE

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 6, 2023

According to Jack Curry of YES, trade talks have "intensified" and a trade "is likely".

Fellow Insider Jon Morosi now feels, "I do believe there is a chance this is going to get finalized today. There could be a trade agreement in place for Juan Soto to be a Yankee today."

Interestingly, Alex Verdugo, just acquired from the Boston Red Sox, is not expected to be flipped as part of this trade. The return is all supposed to be pitching-based.

Drew Thorpe, the Yankees' top pitching prospect—MLB's 2023 Pitching Prospect of the Year—is the key name being mentioned, while Michael King, who had a tremendous finish to the season in the Bronx rotation, is another of the critical parts of this deal. 

Soto will become a free agent after the 2024 season, so this impending trade for the Yankees also assumes they'll be ready to hand out somewhere in the neighborhood of $500M to Soto in a long-term deal about a year from now.

Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports