Chicago Cubs fans will hate the latest Juan Soto trade rumor

San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto is expected to be available via trade this off-season and it has already been discussed that the Chicago Cubs will be monitoring Soto's status this winter.

The Padres, after letting manager Bob Melvin accept the same job with the San Francisco Giants in an effort to save $4 million, are clearly looking to cut costs this off-season, and that has fueled speculation that Soto, expected to earn at least $30MM for the 2024 season, could be traded this off-season.

The Cubs certainly have the money available to not only afford Soto's final year of arbitration but also have the prospect capital to pull off a blockbuster trade with the Padres. The Cubs, however, aren't the only team that checks both of those boxes.

Andy Martino of SNY reports that the New York Yankees have already had discussions with the Padres regarding Soto. The Padres have stopped just short of saying that Soto will be made available this off-season but as evident by Martino's reporting, a trade certainly isn't off the table.

The strong expectation of rival executives is that Soto, 25 years old and entering his final season before free agency, would be available in “the right deal,” as one non-Padres and non-Yankees exec put it. That means that San Diego is not actively shopping Soto, but is not ruling out a move, either.

An interesting note in Martino's report is that the Yankees may not be willing to include top prospect, outfielder Jasson Dominguez in a trade for one-year of Soto but Dominguez was reportedly the prospect offered to the Cubs at the MLB Trade Deadline in a potential deal for Cody Bellinger.

This rumor should serve as a reminder for the Cubs that they will need to be ready to act this off-season and can not afford to let the market pass them by. Or, in this case, the Cubs can't afford to not be heavily involved in trade discussions for Soto.

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