The last thing the Cardinals did in pursuit of Juan Soto

Juan Soto The talk of the Deadline season has been since reports emerged that the Patriots were enjoying dealing with it in the wake of the rejected extension offer. The young star will continue to dominate the headlines until he is traded or next Tuesday’s deadline passes, with plenty of teams relishing the chance of acquiring a 23-year-old who may already be the best hitter in the game.

There was a lot of speculation about which teams could be involved, and Jeff Bassan from ESPN He wrote yesterday that some rival CEOs believe the Cardinals and Padres are the clubs with the best chance of getting Soto out of Washington. This is more informed speculation than an indication that anything is close between the Nats and either club. The Padres and Cardinals both now have winning mentalities and a group of high-level players to control both in and out of the Major League. This also applies to clubs like the Dodgers, Yankees and Mariners, among others, and Soto’s two-and-a-half years of remaining refereeing eligibility means the Nats won’t have to have their best bid on the table over the next few days.

Both Derek Gold from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch And the Jeff Jones from Belleville News-Democrat I write that the cardinals have considered paying Soto. Jones reports that talks between the St. Louis and Washington forward offices are already underway, with the second junior base commander Nolan Gorman On the table.

According to Jones, the front office in St. Louis has suggested building a comeback package around Gorman in hopes of retaining at least one of the minor league players. Jordan Walker or Massin Win. Walker is perhaps the best young player in the organization, finishing seventh in American baseball the most recent Update Top 100 Potential Clients. Meanwhile, Wayne ranks 65th on that list. They’re two of St. Louis’ top three odds, with the left hand Matthew Liberator – Who made his first seven games in the NBA this year – ranked 35th. (Triple A player Alec Burleson The Double-A Jug Gordon Gresvough Also placed in the back of the top 100).

Of course, Gorman himself would have remained one of the favorites if he had not exhausted his eligibility this season. The 22-year-old entered this year as the most agreed-upon talent in the minor league in his own right. Keith Low the athlete He put him slightly ahead of Walker as St. Louis’ Player of the Year entering the season. America baseball and ESPN’s Kelly McDaniel Each gave Walker an advantage but ranked Gorman second in the system and among the top 50 agricultural workers in the sport. Gorman proceeded to tear the ball up for Triple-A Memphis, executing 15 times in 34 games before receiving his first big call in May.

With 54 major league games entering play on Wednesday, Gorman left hitter .223/.299/.411 displays. The combination of high and low energy OBP is about what was expected. Gorman’s massive strength numbers in Memphis have come in with a high strike rate of 34%, and he’s been down on strikes 32.5% of the time so far as a top player.

One should not expect Gorman to be a final product at this point. He turned 22 a few months ago. To “only” reach a slightly above average level in major currencies at that age is very promising. Gorman is expected to not be highly rated as a second base defender, but the 6’1 player had to reach the cornerstone due to the presence of Nolan Arenado. Gorman would probably do better if he got a chance in his natural position in the hot corner, although his strength in the plate will always be his calling card.

As promising as Gorman was, it’s also understandable if the Cardinals would prefer to focus on Soto’s potential comeback around him rather than Walker. The latter, a first-round pick in 2020, played his way to Double-A Springfield despite turning 20. Walker excels in that advanced level, hitting .304/.393/.486 with eight home runs, a high-quality walk rate of 11.5% and a manageable strike rate of 22.3%. These excellent numbers only reinforce the prospective assessments that Walker could be a mid-level bat in the not-too-distant future. Eric Longenhagen from Fangraves Walker is credited with the highest power potential (80 on a 20-80 scale) this month, writing that he posted eye-catching exit speeds in minors despite his young age. Like Gorman, Walker emerged as a third baseman.

Wayne, also 20, went in the second round of the 2020 Draft. A two-way player in high school, he was converted to Shortstop as a pro. He retains the elite arm strength he has shown on the hill, and Longenhagen praised his combination of bat speed, athleticism and communication skills. He split the season between High-A Peoria and Springfield, scoring .298/.363/.484 across 357 board appearances.

It’s not clear if the Gorman-centric comeback could get the ball rolling in talks with the national team. Washington has a great deal of leverage in the Soto talks, and the asking price reported early was the return of five or more major and/or potentially controllable players. Even if the citizens were interested in Gorman as a major player, St. Louis would certainly have to include several young players (one or more of the aforementioned group of Top 100 talents in the system) to persuade Washington General Manager Mike Rizzo to pull the trigger.

Jones wrote that at some point in negotiations with the Cardinals, the Nats sought to include the left hand Patrick Corbin In conversations as a way to compensate for the salary. Corbin is under contract for nearly $60 million during the 2023-24 seasons, an unattractive sum for a bowler with a 6.02 ERA until 20 starts in the year. risotto flatly refused The idea that citizens have sought or will seek to include Corbyn’s contract in the Soto deal during a conversation on 106.7 FM radio in Washington this morning.

“We never communicated with the teams and talked about Juan Soto and attaching any contract to any player,Rizzo said “athlete junkies.” “”We will not reduce any player’s revenue by adding a bad contract. This is not where we are in our organization at this time. We want to get the most out of every deal we make, so we certainly won’t take anyone’s contract with any deal, including Juan Soto’s contract or Josh Bell or anyone.“