Juan Soto Trade Rumors Intensify, Former Padres Manager Reportedly Wanted Him Gone Last Season

In a season of disappointments for the San Diego Padres, Juan Soto was one of the team's few bright spots.

Soto started slow in 2023, but went on a tear for most of the final two months of the season, hitting 10 home runs in September and October alone. With Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts all well below their career norms, Soto set a career high with 35 homers en route to a 5.5 win season.

So it's a bit surprising to see a new report from Kevin Acee at the San Diego Union-Tribune saying that manager Bob Melvin wanted to trade Soto last season.

"And it was fairly common knowledge within the organization that Melvin favored trading Soto," Acee wrote about the 25-year-old star.

Trade their best player? In a season where they held out slim hopes of making the postseason? Why?

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Juan Soto #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts to flying out during the sixth inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PETCO Park on September 05, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Soto May Be Traded This Offseason, Even After Melvin's Departure

The obvious disconnect between Melvin and Padres GM A.J. Preller may have influenced Melvin to take the vacant managerial role with the San Francisco Giants.

If the two people with the most influence on the roster disagree that strongly about what should be done with a key player, it signals a broader communication problem. Acee didn't give any hints as to why the now-former Padres manager thought Soto should be traded. But it's possible he foresaw the exact scenario now playing out in San Diego.

The Padres have apparently run up against MLB's debt service rules, possibly necessitating a significant cut to team payroll. Acee reported Thursday that they may need to jettison at least $50 million in salary this year. With Soto set to make upwards of $30 million in 2024 and a free agent after the season, he's the most obvious trade target.

Something even Preller hasn't entirely ruled out.

READ: PADRES GM DISCUSSES JUAN SOTO’S FUTURE IN SAN DIEGO

And sure enough, rumors are flying that the New York Yankees have already reached out about Soto's availability. Acee reported that per his Padres source, the two sides haven't talked, even though the Yankees had inquired about him at the trade deadline.

Regardless, it's remarkable that the Padres manager advocated for trading the team's best offensive player during the middle of a playoff race. Maybe he thought it would shake up the team's abysmal clubhouse culture.

READ: THE PADRES CLUBHOUSE CULTURE SOUNDS LIKE AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER

But now Melvin is in San Francisco, and Soto too could have one foot out the door. For an organization that started 2023 with World Series expectations, it's an abrupt, dramatic about face.