Now almost two full years later, the effects of the Juan Soto trade are starting to show on both sides. The Padres have since lost both players they received, and the Nationals look to be retooling very well for the future. With James Wood set to debut Monday, let’s look back and see who really won this blockbuster trade.
Padres received Juan Soto and Josh Bell from the Nationals
This seemed to be a very good trade for both teams involved. While the Padres gave up some major prospects, they gained not only superstar Juan Soto, but a great switch hitting bat in Josh Bell. So how did these two do in San Diego?
Juan Soto played a total of 214 games while with the Padres. In that time, Soto tallied 750 plate appearances, hit for a .265 batting average, recorded a .404 on base percentage, a slugging percentage of .538, and an OPS+ of 149. These numbers, when you look at his time with Washington, are slightly worse in far less games played. While his numbers compared to the rest of his career are some of his lowest, he still was one of the better bats in baseball, walking 13 more times than he struckout.
While the Padres got a good season and a half worth of service time from Soto, the same can’t be said about Josh Bell. Bell played in a total of 53 games for San Diego, hitting for a .192 batting average and a .587 OPS.
Nationals received MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, Jarlin Susana, James Wood, Robert Hassell III, and Luke Voit from the Padres
Receiving Gore and Abrams from the Padres was huge. This added two players fresh out of the minor leagues ready for an everyday big league role, and gave a boost to the Washington rotation with the addition of Gore. In his time so far in the Washington rotation, Gore has recorded a 4.11 ERA in 221.1 innings pitched with a K/9 rate of 10.2. Gore has great velocity on his fastball from the left side at an average of 97 MPH and excels in whiff rate. Gore looks to be improving with a 3.60 ERA this season so far, and at 25-years old, has plenty of time to develop with this young core.
Abrams has begun to blossom into a very solid shortstop. In 2024 so far, Abrams has a .278 batting average, with an OPS of .833. He’s currently on pace for a better season than in 2023, and at 23 years old, seems to be developing very well. With 12 HR and 13 stolen bases so far, he is a potential 20/20 threat for years to come in Washington.
Arguably, the biggest piece in the trade was prospect James Wood. At the time of the trade, Wood was the #5 ranked prospect in the Padres system. Wood would rise through the ranks of the farm quick, and was the Nationals #1 ranked prospect coming into the 2024 season. This season in 52 games in AAA, Wood hit for a slashline of .353/.463/.595 with a 1.058 OPS. Wood looks poised to be a part of the Washington outfield for a long time and will take the next step in that journey with his MLB debut on Monday.
Robert Hassell III was the other big name prospect dealt in the trade by San Diego. Upon his arrival into the Washington farm, Hassell didn’t put up jaw-dropping numbers. He hit .225 in 2023 and struck out 161 times to 68 walks. In 2024 however, Hassell looks improved as he’s currently hitting .278 in AA. His approach looks improved, and after a solid performance in the Arizona Fall League, looks to keep improving his game. While Hassell will likely reach the majors next season, the 22-year old looks to be developing nicely.
Jarlin Susana is currently the #10 ranked prospect in the Nationals farm system. Currently in A-ball, Susana has a 4.91 ERA in 51.1 innings pitched, with a K/9 rate of 13.1. Susana currently has a big-league ETA of 2026, and should be a great piece to strengthen the rotation once most of this young core is up in Washington.
Luke Voit was the last piece in the trade and while he wasn’t necessarily the most prized chip in the deal, it still was another right handed power hitting bat for the Nationals lineup. Voit, in 53 games in Washington, hit .225 with 9 HR. Voit was slightly below league average, and now hasn’t played a major league game since 2023 with the Brewers.
Two years later the Nationals appear to be clear winners in this trade, even after losing a once in a generation talent in Juan Soto. They now have a deep farm system and a young budding core that looks to be competitive in the next few seasons. Looking back, the Nationals definitely gained more than they lost in this blockbuster trade.
