CHICAGO (AP) — Juan Soto is joining Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in San Diego. Jorge López, Michael Fulmer and Tyler Mahle are going to Minnesota. Noah Syndergaard, David Robertson and Brandon Marsh are heading to Philadelphia, and Joey Gallo is looking for a fresh start with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Baseball’s trade deadline day was an action-packed affair — 27 trades in all — and no one had more fun than the Padres.
San Diego made the biggest splash, acquiring Soto in a massive deal with the Washington Nationals. The sweet-swinging Soto, still just 23 years old, joins Machado in the middle of the Padres’ order, and Tatis is on his way back after being sidelined by a broken left wrist.
“It’s pretty impressive to have those three types of guys on one team in the same lineup,” said Wil Myers, the Padres’ longest-tenured player. “Excited to see that trio, hopefully in the next week or two.”
The Cardinals and Yankees swapped big leaguers, with Gold Glove-winning center fielder Harrison Bader going to New York in exchange for left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery. The Atlanta Braves geared up for their title defense by sending former closer Will Smith to the Houston Astros for right-hander Jake Odorizzi, and then acquiring reliever Raisel Iglesias in a deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
The Toronto Blue Jays got second baseman Whit Merrifield in a trade with Kansas City — it’s unclear if Merrifield plans to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to play in Canada — and fortified their bullpen by adding Anthony Bass and Zach Pop in a deal with the Miami Marlins. The Brewers added reliever Trevor Rosenthal in a trade with San Francisco.
San Diego acquired Soto and first baseman Josh Bell from Washington for rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore, first baseman/DH Luke…