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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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Makar 9th NHL blueliner with 30 goals in season

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Makar 9th NHL blueliner with 30 goals in season

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Avalanche star Cale Makar scored against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night to become the ninth defenseman in the NHL, and the first with Colorado, to score 30 goals in a season.

The sixth-year player is the NHL’s first defenseman to reach the 30-goal mark since Mike Green of the Washington Capitals had 31 in 2008-09.

Makar put the Avalanche up 5-2 by scoring a power-play goal with 38 seconds left in the second period. He was set up in the left circle for a one-timer by a pass from Nathan MacKinnon. He also had two assists as the Avalanche won, 7-3, to clinch their eighth consecutive playoff appearance.

Overall, NHL blue liners have now combined to reach 30 goals 18 times, led by Bobby Orr, who had five 30-goal seasons. Paul Coffey (four) and Denis Potvin (three) are the only others to have had multiple 30-goal seasons. The list is rounded out by Ray Bourque, Kevin Hatcher, Phil Housley and Doug Wilson.

With the goal and two assists, the 26-year-old Makar also increased his point total to 90, matching the franchise record for defenseman he set last season. In doing so, he became the NHL’s fifth defenseman to produce consecutive 90-point seasons, and first since Coffey (1988-89 to 1990-91) and Al MacInnis (1989-90 to 1990-91).

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Oilers keep pace for home ice, but lose Draisaitl

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Oilers keep pace for home ice, but lose Draisaitl

SAN JOSE, Calif. — NHL leading goal scorer Leon Draisaitl left the Edmonton Oilers‘ game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in the second period because of an undisclosed injury and didn’t return.

Draisaitl appeared to be injured midway through the second period and skated gingerly to the bench before leaving for the dressing room. Coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game that he had no update on the severity of the injury.

Jeff Skinner scored the tiebreaking goal shortly after Draisaitl left the game, giving the Oilers a 3-2 victory that kept them within two points of the Los Angeles Kings in the race for second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“Obviously we’ve had some injuries to key guys,” Skinner said. “It’s a lot of opportunity for other guys to step up and I think guys have done a good job so far. We’re going to have to continue that and keep working together to get the results we want.”

Draisaitl had an assist earlier in the second period. He leads the NHL with 52 goals and is third in the league with 106 points.

Draisaitl sat out four games last month because of an undisclosed injury.

The Oilers are already without star center Connor McDavid, who has been sidelined since colliding with Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey on March 20. McDavid has resumed skating with the team in a noncontact jersey but there is no timetable for his return.

The playoffs begin in just over two weeks.

“You never want to miss those guys,” Knoblauch said. “You never want your top players not to play because every time they’re not in, it decreases your chances of winning because they are good players, obviously. But what happens is other guys have some opportunities to play, get some confidence, hopefully score some goals, because we’re going to need them.”

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Blues’ Holloway exits with lower-body injury

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Blues' Holloway exits with lower-body injury

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis forward Dylan Holloway left the Blues’ 5-4 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first period Thursday night because of a lower-body injury.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery had no additional information on the injury after the game.

“We’ll have more, I’m sure, tomorrow,” Montgomery said.

The team announced the injury during the first intermission and said he would not return to the game. It was not clear when Holloway was injured.

Holloway had eight shifts in the first period.

Holloway has been a driving force in the Blues’ 11-game winning streak, which ties a franchise record. He has 26 goals and 37 assists in 77 games this season.

“Obviously, that’s an elite player for us, someone who plays in all situations, and, you know, a really important piece to our team,” forward Jake Neighbours said. “We had to focus on the task at hand. … it sucked losing Dylan, and just hope he’s OK.”

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