MLB Analyst weighs in on Juan Soto's situation with the San Diego Padres: "100% he is going to be traded before the season" 

ESPN's Buster Olney weighed in on the rumors regarding San Diego Padres star Juan Soto's future with the club and said that he is confident that the outfielder will be traded this winter. The Dominican star has been one of the central figures for the franchise and is currently set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2025. After a disappointing season, it has been rumored that the Padres front office will be looking to trade their star.

Juan Soto joined the Washington Nationals as an international free agent back in 2015 and went on to make his MLB debut for them in 2018. He had a historic rookie campaign in his first full season and helped them to the World Series title the following year. During his time in Washington, he also won the Babe Ruth Award as well as the NL Batting Champion. He was traded to the Padres in August of 2022 along with Josh Bell.

Soto is currently projected to make $33 million through arbitration next year but we are yet to get any confirmation on his future. The Padres have reportedly talked with him about his next contract but the two sides have not come close to an agreement. Now, MLB Analyst Buster Olney believes that trading Soto could be a necessary cost cut for the Padres and weighed in with his opinion on "The Michael Kay Show" on Friday:

"Absolutely, 100% he is going to be traded before the season."

New York Yankees the most likely destination for Juan Soto?

The San Diego Padres have reportedly made it clear to teams in the MLB that they are open to offers for Juan Soto over the winter. That said, as far as rumors go, the most likely destination for the Dominican is the New York Yankees. Even Olney added that he believes it would be the most logical move for all parties.

However, as fans have seen in the past, nothing can be said for certain until Soto reaches an agreement with a team and it will be interesting to see the developments in the coming weeks.