At this point, it sure looks like the San Diego Padres will be looking to cash in on Soto as a trade asset, as the 2024 season will be his last year before he enters free agency and inevitably signs a deal that could approach the half-billion mark in value. This is a boon for the Yankees, as they recognize that there may not be a team that will want to outbid them in a trade for the services of someone who’s nearing free agency.

This is why, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees will want to hold on to Jasson Dominguez and Anthony Volpe in any prospective deal with the Padres for Juan Soto. The Padres, according to Heyman, have already asked for Dominguez and Volpe in trade discussions with the Yankees, but in the art of negotiations, you always start out with a high asking price.

Plus defenders at shortstop with some pop tend to be valuable big leaguers, and that’s exactly what Volpe showed in his rookie season for the Yankees. He hit 21 home runs and drove in 60 runs, albeit on a subpar slash line, while being a plus-defender in the middle of the diamond.

Meanwhile, Jasson Dominguez made waves once the Yankees called him up late in the season, even smashing some records in the process. Dominguez has all the looks of a hard-hitting outfielder with some okay defense at centerfield, projecting to be an above-average big leaguer upon his return from injury.

The Padres, if they were to strike a trade with the Yankees, won’t be coming away with those two, as New York does not want to pay such a ridiculously high price for a rental piece