Yankees get OF Soto in 7-player deal with Padres
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
The San Diego Padres traded Juan Soto to the New York Yankees late Wednesday night, marking the second trade in less than 17 months for the 25-year-old outfielder who has established himself as one of this era’s most gifted hitters.
The Yankees also received outfielder Trent Grisham from the Padres as part of the seven-player deal. In exchange, San Diego received right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez, starting-pitching prospect Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka.
The Yankees went into the offseason in search of two every-day left-handed-hitting outfielders and acquired both this week. On Tuesday night, they completed a rare trade with the rival Boston Red Sox to acquire Alex Verdugo in exchange for three pitchers.
A little more than 24 hours later, the Yankees swung the deal that had been highly speculated on for several weeks. The Yankees and Padres had agreed on the names in this deal as of Tuesday night and seemed as if they would complete the deal by the following afternoon, but concern over some of the medicals temporarily halted the deal until close to midnight on the East Coast, a source told ESPN.
The trade puts Soto in an outfield mix with Verdugo, Grisham, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the latter of whom is more of a designated hitter at this point.
Verdugo, 27, and Soto, 25, are both heading into their final year before free agency, but the Yankees would undoubtedly love to keep Soto long term. Neither Judge nor Verdugo are primary center fielders, but one of them will have to man the position on a full-time basis under this construction.
Grisham, also a left-handed hitter, comes in as a fourth outfielder who can be subbed in for defensive purposes late in games and also draw some starts against righties.
Grisham’s departure might clear a path in San Diego for Fernando Tatis Jr. — a lifelong shortstop who won a Platinum Glove in his first full season as a right fielder in 2023 — to play center field, though the Padres also have shown interest in Korean center fielder Jung Hoo Lee.
The Padres initially acquired Soto by sending an impressive haul of prospects — headlined by shortstop CJ Abrams, starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore and three other highly regarded young players — to the Washington Nationals in August 2022. The Padres’ plan was to have Soto for three playoff races before he ventured into free agency, teaming him with fellow superstars Tatis, Manny Machado and, eventually, Xander Bogaerts.
Instead, they got only one.
The Padres rode the acquisitions of Soto and star closer Josh Hader all the way to the National League Championship Series in 2022, but they did not make the playoffs during a thoroughly disappointing 2023 campaign. The ensuing offseason found them with a desire to cut from a payroll that had exceeded $250 million and fill out a rotation left barren from several free agent departures.
Trading Soto — a highly coveted player heading into his final season before free agency — proved to be the Pads’ best, most efficient path.
But it was also painful.
Since debuting as a 19-year-old in 2018, Soto, with his combination of patience and power, has slashed .284/.421/.524 with 160 home runs and 483 RBIs in 779 games, making three All-Star teams and capturing four Silver Sluggers. In that six-year stretch, Soto has drawn 640 walks and struck out 577 times, a rare ratio at a time when pitchers routinely throw into the triple digits with devastating breaking pitches.
Soto won a batting title during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020 and led the majors in walks each of the next three years, accumulating 412 free passes — while striking out 94 fewer times — but also amassing 91 home runs. His adjusted OPS of 157 is the fifth-highest all time through a player’s age-24 season, trailing only Ty Cobb, Mike Trout, Mickey Mantle and Jimmie Foxx, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
The Nationals’ trade of Soto, whom they originally signed out of the Dominican Republic, came after he declined a reported 15-year, $440 million extension, prompting them to go into rebuilding mode. Soto finished that season with a career-low .853 OPS, but his numbers picked back up in his first full season with the Padres in 2023, during which he slashed .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs and 109 RBIs while playing in all 162 games.
The Padres began the offseason with only Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish remaining from their 2023 rotation, as the free agencies of Blake Snell, Michael Wacha, Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo left them with as many as three holes to fill. The Soto trade helps alleviate some of that need.
King, a 28-year-old who posted a 1.88 ERA in eight starts after transitioning to the Yankees’ rotation late last season, will probably fill one of the open spots. Brito and Vasquez, both 25-year-olds who debuted last season, also are options. And so is Thorpe, who dominated in High-A and Double-A in his age-22 season in 2023, going 14-2 with a 2.52 ERA while striking out 182 batters and issuing 38 walks in 139⅓ innings. Brito posted a 4.28 ERA in 25 games (13 starts) in 2023; Vasquez had a 2.87 ERA in 11 games (five starts).
Higashioka, who is a year away from free agency, gives the Padres another option behind the plate alongside 25-year-old catcher Luis Campusano.
But the real prize, of course, is Soto, whose transition from San Diego’s spacious Petco Park to Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch might unlock yet another level to his already illustrious offensive prowess. He is guaranteed only one year in the Bronx, but the Yankees would love to extend his stay somehow.
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Adam Rittenberg
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Oklahoma players and coaches gathered in different spots around Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium, posing for pictures and savoring every second of the team’s best win as an SEC member and its best under fourth-year coach Brent Venables.
When the 11th-ranked Sooners finally retreated to their locker room, their victory playlist began with “Dixieland Delight,” Alabama’s cherished late-game anthem, and then, of course, “Sweet Home Alabama.” Written off in most College Football Playoff projections after its home loss to Ole Miss on Oct. 25, Oklahoma responded with consecutive road wins against Tennessee and Saturday at No. 4 Alabama, holding off the Tide 23-21.
The Sooners recorded their first road win against a top-five opponent since their victory over Ohio State in 2017, featuring another famous postgame celebration with quarterback Baker Mayfield’s flag-plant at Ohio Stadium. OU ended Alabama’s 17-game home winning streak and became the first team to beat the Tide in consecutive seasons since Ole Miss in 2014 and 2015. The Sooners also registered their fourth win against an AP-ranked opponent this season, tying Alabama for the most in the FBS.
“I’m not a boastful or braggadocious kind of guy, but, man, I’m going to brag on our guys, and they deserve it,” Venables said. “They put a lot into this opportunity, and we’ve created vision for that, so I got to follow through. I’m like, ‘Hey, man, this is what victory looks like. This is how we’re going to do it. And I want to see you guys dancing, carrying on, just having some joy in the moment.'”
Oklahoma won despite generating only 212 yards of offense, its fewest since 2022 and OU’s fewest in a win since 2001 against No. 5 Texas. The Sooners rode their defense, which forced three Alabama turnovers, half of the Tide’s season total entering Saturday, and scored on Eli Bowen‘s 87-yard interception return in the first quarter.
The defense needed one final stop as Alabama took possession with 7:14 play, needing only a field goal to win. Even after “Dixieland Delight” sent the crowd into a frenzy and Alabama converted a key fourth down, an Oklahoma defense playing without top pass rusher R Mason Thomas and others clamped down on the Tide, who were held scoreless for the final 22:27.
“It was all red, and the lights were on, but we fed off the energy,” Oklahoma defensive lineman Taylor Wein, who had a strip-sack fumble and two quarterback hurries, said of hearing “Dixieland Delight” in the closing minutes. “Little do they know, they think that they’re feeling their team, they’re feeling us, they’re getting us ready to go.”
Wein was one of many Oklahoma players wearing a T-shirt that read “Hard to Kill” on the front and “Enough is Enough” on the back after the game. The Sooners stressed those themes after the loss to Ole Miss, recognizing that a third defeat would probably end their CFP hopes.
“How much is enough?” said kicker Tate Sandell, who went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, including a 52-yarder. “It’s just having that mindset of staying alive, blue collar, roll your sleeves up and just find a way, and being hard to kill in the process.”
Venables thought the Sooners could “separate ourselves” on special teams, and they delivered, not only with Sandell’s field goals but forcing a Ryan Williams fumble on an Alabama punt return and partially blocking a Conor Talty field goal attempt at the end of the first half to preserve a 17-14 lead. The Sooners had 10 points off turnovers and overcame the massive yards differential by limiting major mistakes and doing the little things to win.
“Who’s it not pretty for? What does that mean?” a smiling Venables asked. “I happen to like it.”
Oklahoma had a more dominant defensive effort last year against Alabama, keeping the Tide out of the end zone. But the 2024 Sooners lost their final two games to finish 6-7 and raised questions about the trajectory under Venables, a first-time head coach.
But this season’s OU team has responded to both of its losses and key injuries, including to quarterback John Mateer, to be in position for a return to the CFP.
“They haven’t flinched,” Venables said. “When the fire is raging and things are looking a little desolate, they have responded several times this year, and they certainly have the last couple of weeks, when it mattered the most. They put respect on our brand again this week.”
Oklahoma must refocus for home games against Missouri and LSU, but the magnitude of Saturday’s win will resonate.
“The pictures after the game, you love the moments, the memories you create,” defensive tackle David Stone said. “We’ll have that for a lifetime.”
Wisconsin will start true freshman quarterback Carter Smith at No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, replacing Danny O’Neil after the sophomore was carted off the field with a right leg injury last week.
O’Neil was injured on a 21-yard keeper during the first quarter of last Saturday’s 13-10 win over then-No. 23 Washington. He had a towel over his head as he was carted to the locker room.
Smith made his season debut following O’Neil’s injury, completing 3 of 12 passes for 8 yards while rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Also available to the Badgers at quarterback is senior Hunter Simmons, who is 48-for-95 for 485 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
For Indiana, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is doubtful to play, sources said. Sarratt, who is tied for the Big Ten lead with 10 touchdown receptions, injured his hamstring against Maryland on Nov. 1 and missed the Penn State game last week.
With Indiana having a bye next week, Sarratt is on track to return against Purdue on Nov. 28.
Quarterback issues have hindered Wisconsin all season and throughout coach Luke Fickell’s three-year tenure.
Billy Edwards Jr. was Wisconsin’s first-team quarterback at the start of the season, but he sprained his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ opener and has played only one full series since.
Tanner Mordecai missed 3½ games with a broken hand in 2023. Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL in the third game of the 2024 season.
Wisconsin’s intended season-opening starting quarterback has been available for the entirety of only 11 of the 34 games the Badgers have played since the beginning of the 2023 season. The last time Fickell had his season-opening starting quarterback healthy for a full game was in a 27-13 victory over South Dakota on Sept. 7, 2024.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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