In the worst case scenario, the seeds that are sown do not bear fruit, or at best, they have to be waited for with a lot of patience and dedication, but it is never known for sure which of the two scenarios to expect, and you just have to take the step. That is precisely what the Washington Nationals did, a team that after having won a World Series, decided to part with a Dominican baseball player that at the time no one knew was likely to be signed for an astronomical amount in one of the most spectacular contracts in the history of professional sports.
Juan Soto, a very expensive trade chip
Dominican Juan Soto had been the architect of that championship and was beginning to grow by leaps and bounds, despite the 2020 campaign that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in which he excelled even more. Perhaps at that moment someone on the Washington team saw great potential in him but as a very expensive bargaining chip, so they prepared his departure along with Josh Bell to the San Diego Padres, a team that acquired them in exchange for Robert Hassell III, C.J. Abrams, James Wood, MacKenzie Gore and Jarlin Susana.
What followed in Juan Soto’s life after a fleeting spell with the California team is well known, but Washington has already begun to reap the rewards of that trade that many at the time thought was a mistake. With the injury to Dylan Crews, Hassell’s promotion to the majors was facilitated, as he was playing for Triple-A Rochester. The story is beginning to change in Washington and much is expected of the outfielder from Franklin, Tennessee.
The deal was a good one for the Nationals
However, this is just the missing piece, as of those traded for Soto, all are already a reality in Dave Martinez’s team: shortstop C.J. Abrams is already an All-Star caliber player;outfielder James Wood shines in his own light; starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore is a luxury strikeout artist and leads the NL in strikeouts and Jarlin Susana is already a Top 100 prospect.
There’s no doubt that seeing Soto on the Mets as a superstar must hurt the Nationals, but not as much as it hurts San Diego, as their cards for which they traded the Dominican and Trent Grisham to the Yankees, do not shine as brightly as those mentioned above and only Michael King has a bright present.
At least in Washington they have more reasons to enjoy the fruits of a great deal.
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