Acquiring the 23-year-old talent of the generation in perhaps the biggest deadline deal ever has encouraged the Padres and their long-suffering fans, and there is more to come. Soto and Josh Bell on Wednesday joined a lineup currently anchored by All-Star slugger Manny Machado. Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. expected to return from a broken left wrist in a few weeks. When that lineup takes the field, “It’s going to be really exciting. It’s going to be really tough to get through, and I wish other players the best of luck,” Soto said with a laugh at an introductory news conference. Soto was playing second and right field against Colorado on Wednesday night, one day after being acquired from Washington in a huge trade. Machado was hitting third and first baseman Bell, acquired along with Soto, was hitting the first game. Soto received a standing ovation from the fans at Petco when he homered to right field in the top of the first inning. [email protected] fans welcome Juan Soto to San Diego. 👏 pic.twitter.com/ryOA3dZdSt — MLB (@MLB) August 4, 2022 The honor for Soto and Bell was significant: rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore, first baseman/DH Luke Voit and prospects James Wood, CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana. Washington general manager Mike Rizzo set a high price last month after reports emerged that Soto rejected the team’s final contract offer of $440 million over 15 years. The uncertainty over his future began to weigh on Soto, who said after Sunday’s game against St. Louis, “I just want to get it over with and see what happens. Start here or wherever I am.” That place is San Diego, where the Padres entered Wednesday holding the NL’s second wild card spot while trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 11 1/2 games in the NL West. Soto, one of the game’s best young players, said he was happy Bell was included in the trade. The two were flown to San Diego by private jet Tuesday night. “For me, I never realized that I was going to be traded together. I was probably thinking to myself,” Soto said. “When I realized Josh and I were coming, we have a great relationship and I was more excited and more fulfilled because he’s coming and I know what kind of guy he is and what he brings to the table. I’m more than excited for you to share another club with him.” Soto contributed to the Nationals’ first World Series title in 2019 and then hit .351 in 2020 to win the NL batting title. He’s in his second straight All-Star season, and now he and Bell have joined a team whose playoff chances were strong.
1 Related Soto said all the conversations with Padres general manager AJ Preller and his new teammates were, “Let’s win, let’s bring good energy to the clubhouse and to the field, just come here and try to win. Try to bring the experience me from 2019 as a World Series champion here in San Diego. “That’s what I’m going to do, that’s what’s been on my mind since I saw the trade yesterday. That’s what we’re going to try to do, try to get to the last team.” Soto believes he will join a World Series contender. “Yeah, sure,” he said. “This team has everything it takes to win a World Series.” San Diego last played in the World Series in 1998, when they were swept by the New York Yankees. Soto is under contract for two seasons beyond this year and said he isn’t thinking about anything beyond that. “I’m only thinking about winning,” he said. “I just come to this club to bring the energy that I have, all the good vibes that I have to bring here, to win.” Soto and Bell come from the team with the worst record in baseball to a team that has increased its postseason chances. “It feels really good,” Soto said. “I feel really excited to be here. Just coming away from a team that has no chance of getting this far, it’s a great feeling, a new atmosphere, it’s a new start for me. It’s a new start, a new feeling to go out there and give more than I have.” Said Bell: “Obviously we pour our heart and soul into this game wherever we are… But it’s a little bit of extra fuel on the fire to be here and be in the hunt and have a reason to show up a little bit earlier every day to get the job done. I’m definitely excited to have another opportunity here.” Soto and Tatis, who is also 23, have known each other since playing together in the Dominican Prospect League. “This is my boy, my hometown boy,” Tatis said Tuesday. “I mean, we’ve been playing together since we were 15, 16 years old. And now we’re on the same team. It’s crazy.”
