Yankees Place Giancarlo Stanton On 10-Day Injured List
The Yankees announced Tuesday that outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to tendonitis in his left Achilles. The move is retroactive to Sunday. Outfielder Tim Locastro is up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Stanton’s spot on the active roster.
Stanton, 32, was named the All-Star Game’s MVP after swatting a game-tying home run off Tony Gonsolin. He’s hitting .228/.309/.498 with 24 long balls on the season but has been an all-or-nothing hitter for the bulk of the summer. Stanton is just 23-for-138 dating back to June 1 (.167), but 13 of those 23 hits on which he’s connected have been home runs. He’s also plated 26 runs in that time, delivering several key hits despite a generally porous overall output at the plate.
With Stanton sidelined for a yet-to-be-determined period of time — the Yankees have not provided a potential timetable for his recovery — the Yankees can turn to hot-hitting Matt Carpenter for an increased role. Locastro, Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge should see considerable run in the outfield, while struggling Joey Gallo may also see some increased opportunities to get back on track at the plate. At the same time, Stanton’s absence could further hasten the Yanks to pursue another bat that would push Gallo — whom they’re reportedly trying to trade — out of the picture entirely.
The 30-year-old Locastro is one of MLB’s fastest players and has a .256/.336/.414 batting line through 150 Triple-A plate appearances this season. He hit .240/.321/.480 in a tiny sample of 28 trips to the plate with the Yankees earlier this season but is an overall .232/.333/.337 hitter in parts of six Major League seasons.
Ryan Weber Elects Free Agency
Right-hander Ryan Weber has once again rejected an outright assignment in favor of free agency after clearing waivers, the Yankees announced Tuesday. New York designated Weber for assignment for the third time this season back on July 21.
Weber has gone unclaimed on waivers, rejected a minor league assignment and quickly returned to the Yankees on a new minor league deal following each of his prior DFAs, and it wouldn’t at all be surprising to see that same sequence pan out here. Declining the outright assignment is often a formality, allowing veterans of this ilk to quickly scan the league for potential immediate MLB opportunities and perhaps to negotiate a new opt-out date if they ultimately return to the same organization. It’s clear based on how the season has panned out that Weber is comfortable with the Yankees organization and that they find value in hanging onto him as an experienced depth option.
The 31-year-old Weber has now appeared in three games with the Yanks this season — one per stint — and pitched 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball. He’s punched out just two hitters in that time but also allowed only one walk and induced a massive 60.9% ground-ball rate. His most recent appearance saw him pitch three innings of shutout relief against the Red Sox.
Down in Triple-A this year, Weber has pitched to a 2.55 ERA in 24 2/3 innings while logging a terrific 19-to-1 K/BB ratio. Through parts of eight big league seasons, he has a 5.10 ERA 14.7% strikeout rate, 5.2% walk rate and 53.1% grounder rate in a total of 174 2/3 innings.
Draft Signings: Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, Astros, A’s, Blue Jays
We’ll use this post to round up some of the more notable recent draft signings:
- The Phillies announced they’ve signed #17 overall pick Justin Crawford. Jim Callis of MLB.com reports (Twitter link) that the lefty-hitting outfielder will receive a $3.8948MM signing bonus, a hair above the pick’s slot value. Crawford, the son of four-time All-Star Carl Crawford, was ranked by Baseball America as the #18 prospect in the class. A product of a Nevada high school, Crawford is an excellent runner who’s regarded as a possible plus defender in center field. The 6’3″ outfielder is seen as a hit-over-power offensive player. He’d been committed to LSU.
- The Red Sox agreed to a deal with #24 selection Mikey Romero, as first reported by Chad Jennings of the Athletic (on Twitter). It’s a $2.3MM deal to convince the infielder to bypass a commitment to LSU. A left-handed hitter from a California high school, Romero was ranked the #54 prospect in the class by BA, explaining why his deal comes in a fair bit shy of the pick’s $2.98MM slot value. BA praises his bat-to-ball skills but notes that his slender frame leads to below-average raw power.
- The Yankees announced agreement with #25 pick Spencer Jones. Callis reports (Twitter link) that he’ll sign for slot value at $2.8808MM. The class’s #49 prospect according to Baseball America, Jones is a 6’7″ outfielder from Vanderbilt. The left-hander posted a massive .370/.460/.644 showing with 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases through 272 plate appearances during his final season with the Commodores. Jones stuck out at a lofty 23.5% rate, an unsurprising development for a player of his size, but his combination of power and athleticism got him into the late first round.
- Astros first-round pick Drew Gilbert has signed, according to a club announcement. Callis reports (Twitter link) he’s landed a $2.5MM bonus, a little under the $2.62MM value of the 28th overall pick. A left-handed hitting center fielder from the University of Tennessee, Gilbert was the #24 prospect in the class, per BA. The 5’9″ outfielder has a well-rounded offensive skillset and a good chance to stick in center field, and he’s coming off a .362/.455/.673 showing with more walks than strikeouts in a breakout junior season for the Vols.
- The A’s are in agreement on an overslot deal with 2nd-round pick Henry Bolte, Callis reports (on Twitter). He’ll receive a $2MM bonus to sway him out of a commitment to Texas. A 6’3″ outfielder from the Bay Area, Bolte entered the draft as the #42 prospect in Baseball America’s estimation. He’s regarded as one of the higher-upside players in the class, showing an enviable combination of power, speed and center defense. However, the right-handed hitter also comes with question marks about the high amount of swing-and-miss in his game.
- The Blue Jays went overslot with a $2MM bonus for supplemental second-round pick Tucker Toman, Callis reports (on Twitter). That’s more than double the $846,900 slot value associated with the #77 overall selection. That reflects a loftier prospect status, as the 18-year-old infielder from a South Carolina high school had been the #40 player in the class, according to BA. A 6’1″ infielder, Toman is a switch-hitter with a chance for a strong hit/power combination, although it’s questionable whether he can stay on the dirt or will eventually have to move to the corner outfield. Like Crawford and Romero, he’ll forego a commitment to LSU and start his pro career.
Yankees Designate Shane Greene For Assignment
The Yankees have designated reliever Shane Greene for assignment, per the team. The move creates an open roster spot for Ron Marinaccio, who has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list.
The veteran Greene has made just two appearances on the season, one for the Dodgers and one for the Yankees. The 33-year-old, who began his career with the Yankees back in 2014, has since suited up for the Tigers and Braves, as well as the Yankees and Dodgers. He ascended to the closer’s role at the end of his time in Detroit, but transitioned back into a setup role after being acquired by the Braves at the 2019 deadline.
Marinaccio, 27, was a 19th-round draft choice by the Yankees back in 2017. He’s been solid for the Yankees this season, who are looking for more dependable arms out of the bullpen. Marinaccio has made 17 appearances while registering a 2.33 ERA/3.07 FIP across 19 1/3 innings with a strong 28.4 percent strikeout rate, too-high 12.4 percent walk rate, and 40.5 percent groundball rate, which is just a touch below league average.
Latest On Juan Soto Trade Talks
5:16PM: The Nationals want “four to five top young players” for Soto, Ken Rosenthal said during a FOX Sports interview today. This “monstrous ask” consists of star prospects and/or players who have only recently made their MLB debuts, and thus are under control for several years. Given the size of this expected trade package, “at this point….it’s not really a negotiation. The Nationals are saying ‘either you express a willingness to meet our price, or we just go to the next club,’ ” Rosenthal said.
As an example, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that if the Giants were to bid for Soto, the Nats would want left-handed pitching prospect Kyle Harrison back as part of the return. Harrison was the Giants’ third-round pick in the 2020 draft, and his great 2022 numbers have elevated him in midseason prospect rankings — Baseball America has Harrison rated 22nd on their latest list of baseball’s top 100 minor leaguers, while MLB Pipeline has him 25th.
11:20AM: The possibility of a Juan Soto trade has dominated MLB headlines for the past week, but the Nationals haven’t been impressed with the offers they’ve seen so far, per the Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli. Finding a suitable trade package for a well-decorated 23-year-old superstar is complicated enough, but the Nationals’ ownership situation adds another confounding wrinkle.
With current owners, the Lerner family, looking increasingly likely to sell the club, the desires of any new potential owner have to be considered in any Soto deal, as well. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, some potential buyers would prefer to have Soto on the roster. Given that Soto is by far the Nats’ best baseball asset, it’s not surprising that a new ownership group would want him in the organization.
It’s hard to imagine that the club would be more attractive to potential buyers without Soto on the roster. There is the possibility of a new ownership group preferring a clean slate while letting the Lerners take the public relations hit that will come with dealing the team’s most popular star. Still, despite all the trade hubbub, it would not at all be shocking to see Soto still on the payroll when the Lerners find a buyer. A new owner would still be able to trade Soto with two full years of team control remaining, even if that sale doesn’t happen until the offseason.
So long as the possibility of a deal remains viable, teams will continue to check in with Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo. The Yankees are Mets are two of the foremost contenders for Soto. The Yankees are the more likely destination, however, given the Nats’ understandable reticence to deal Soto to a division contender, notes Andy Martino of sny.tv. The Nationals already have to live with former stars Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer in the same division. Nationals fans would certainly not be thrilled to face off with Harper and Soto within the division for the next decade. The Mets can’t be crossed off the list, but they should be counted as long-shots for now.
Michael King Suffers Season-Ending Elbow Fracture
TODAY: Boone confirmed that King won’t pitch again in 2022, the manager told The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler and other reporters. King will also undergo further tests for further elbow damage beyond just a fracture.
JULY 22: Yankees reliever Michael King has a fracture in his throwing elbow, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links). The team will know more after further testing tonight, but Sherman adds the club currently anticipates the injury will end his season. King departed tonight’s outing against the Orioles with elbow pain, and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweeted shortly after the game ended the Yankees were preparing to replace him on the roster.
Assuming further testing confirms the initial diagnosis and timetable, the Yankees will play the remainder of the season without one of the league’s best relievers. The 27-year-old has been an excellent multi-inning weapon for skipper Aaron Boone, working 51 frames across 34 outings. King owns a sparkling 2.29 ERA with the peripherals to match. He’s punched out an elite 33.2% of opposing hitters, induced ground-balls at an above-average 47% clip and only walked 8% of opponents.
The disappointing news will likely increase the front office’s urgency to add to the late-game mix before the August 2 trade deadline, although no one they acquire could reasonably be expected to replicate King’s production. Clay Holmes remains on hand as an elite weapon, but King had been a pivotal arm to bridge the gap between the starters and Holmes. He’d mostly assumed a role in which Chad Green has thrived for the past few seasons after the Yankees lost Green to Tommy John surgery in May.
Jonathan Loáisiga and Aroldis Chapman have been Boone’s two other primary high-leverage arms. Both hurlers have strong pre-2022 track records, but neither has been good this season. Loáisiga has a dreadful 7.45 ERA through 19 1/3 innings, while Chapman has an untenable 17.2% walk rate and a personal-low 24.7% strikeout percentage. Wandy Peralta has been a reliable ground-ball specialist from the left side, but the right-handed group prior to Holmes looks lackluster with Green and King out and Loáisiga struggling.
There are always a host of middle innings relievers available at the trade deadline, and general manager Brian Cashman and his staff figure to scour that market over the next ten days. Old friend David Robertson and Mychal Givens (Cubs), Michael Fulmer (Tigers) and Anthony Bass (Marlins) are among the shorter-term veterans who figure to be available, while players like Scott Barlow (Royals), Kyle Finnegan (Nationals) and Jorge López (Orioles) have longer windows of remaining club control.
As for King, it’s no doubt a crushing blow to see his breakout season likely come to a close early. He’d been a solid swing option last year, working to a 3.55 ERA through 63 1/3 frames, but this year’s emergence was on a different level. King will be eligible for arbitration for the first time after this season, and he’s under control through the 2025 campaign.
Yankees Select Shane Greene, Call Up Clarke Schmidt
With Michael King‘s season ended by an elbow fracture, the Yankees officially placed King on the 60-day injured list today. Outfielder Tim Locastro was also optioned to Triple-A after yesterday’s game, creating two roster spots that will be filled by right-handers Clarke Schmidt and Shane Greene. Schmidt has been called up from Triple-A, while Greene (previously on a minor league deal with the organization) has signed a Major League deal and had that contract selected.
Greene signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers over the offseason, and posted two scoreless innings at the big league level before Los Angeles designated him for assignment back in May. Quickly catching on with the Yankees, Greene is now back with his first pro organization — New York selected Greene in the 15th round of the 2009 draft, and he debuted with 78 2/3 innings with the Bronx Bombers in 2014.
Dealt to the Tigers in the 2014-15 offseason, Greene has appeared in each of the last eight MLB campaigns, with a pretty wide variance in performance. Overall, Greene has a 4.50 ERA over 469 2/3 career relief innings, but at his best, the righty has pitched at an All-Star level (with Detroit in 2019) and worked as a closer and in other high-leverage roles.
This inconsistency led to an extended stint in free agency in the 2020-21 offseason, as Greene didn’t land anywhere until signing with the Braves in May 2021, and he perhaps unsurprisingly struggled over 17 innings for Atlanta. Over 21 innings with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, Greene has a 3.86 ERA, 25.3% strikeout rate, and 9.2% walk rate.
While it will be very hard any pitcher to replicate King’s excellent performance this year, the Yankees are hoping to at least try and fill the gap with a combination of a veteran in Greene and a former top prospect in Schmidt, who is still in only his third Major League season. It also stands to reason that New York will put more of a focus on adding relief help prior to the August 2 trade deadline.
Yankees “Serious Contenders” For Andrew Benintendi
While we know the Yankees have significant interest in superstar Juan Soto, the odds of a deal are long enough that New York has to explore other potential upgrades as well. The latest report pegs the Yankees to be “serious contenders” for Royals’ outfielder Andrew Benintendi, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter).
The Yankees currently have the highest-producing outfield in the Majors by the measure of fWAR, but the group has been buoyed by Aaron Judge‘s MVP-type season. An addition could help secure the club against the possibility of injury heading into the postseason. A left-handed outfielder bat would also help to balance a lineup that leans to the right.
Given the struggles of Joey Gallo (88 wRC+), acquiring Benintendi wouldn’t necessarily take the Yankees out of the running for Soto, though that situation is hardly worth a consideration until the Yankees have at least one of the outfielders in hand. Furthermore, the Yankees could simply stick with Aaron Hicks, who has turned it around to post a 110 wRC+ on the year. Hicks has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, so the Yankees might simply be seeking further depth in the outfield to protect against the worst-case scenario.
With the Royals out of the race and Benintendi heading towards free agency, he should be a relatively low-cost addition for some contender this trade season. Even considering his strong season (128 wRC+), acquiring Benintendi would cost only a shade of what it would take to acquire Soto.
Of course, it wasn’t long ago that reports had the Yankees out on Benintendi because of his vaccination status. The Yankees only have three games remaining in Toronto, however, so it wouldn’t necessarily become an issue until possibly the postseason.
Yankees Reinstate Domingo Germán, Designate Ryan Weber
The Yankees announced a couple of roster moves between games of today’s double-header against the Astros. Right-hander Domingo Germán was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, with fellow righty Ryan Weber being designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Germán, 29, is starting the second game of the twin bill, which will be his season debut. He’s been on the injured list all season due to shoulder issues. That’s the latest in a series of setbacks that have kept him from living up to the promise he showed a few years ago. In 2019, he threw 143 innings with a 4.03 ERA, 25.8% strikeout rate, 6.6% walk rate and 38.1% ground ball rate.
However, in September of that year, he was placed on administrative leave for violating the Joint MLB-MLBPA Domestic Violence Policy. He missed the entirety of the 2020 campaign while serving his suspension. He returned in 2021 but was limited by shoulder issues to 98 1/3 innings, with his ERA jumping to 4.58 in that stretch.
He recently began a rehab assignment and has been getting stretched out as a starter, throwing six innings in his last outing. He likely has a chance to stick around for a while, as long as he performs well enough. The Yankees have had incredible health in their rotation this year but recently suffered their first injury setback. Luis Severino was placed on the 15-day IL last week with a lat strain and likely won’t begin throwing again until August, manager Aaron Boone told Lindsey Adler of The Athletic.
For now, he’ll slot into the rotation behind Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Jameson Taillon and Jordan Montgomery. His performance and Severino’s health could determine how long he sticks around, though there’s also the possibility of the club adding an arm before the August 2 trade deadline. The Yankees have already been connected to Luis Castillo, the top available hurler. Germán still has an option and can be sent down if he gets nudged from the rotation.
As for Weber, he’s bounced on and off the roster all season, with this being the third time he’s been designated for assignment by the Yanks this year. The previous two instances, he cleared waivers and stuck with the team, later getting selected back to the bigs. In between those transactions, he’s thrown 7 2/3 innings in the big leagues with a 1.17 ERA. His 7.7% strikeout rate is very low, but he’s limited walks to a miniscule 3.8% rate and is getting ground balls at a decent 60.9% clip. He’s also thrown 24 2/3 Triple-A innings on the year, with a 2.55 ERA, 18.8% strikeout rate, 1% walk rate and 47.4% grounder rate. The Yankees will have one week to trade him, pass him through waivers or release him. If he clears waivers, he will have the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency, but might just stick with Yanks, based on precedent.
Latest On Juan Soto’s Market
Ever since it emerged that the Nationals are willing to entertain trade offers on Juan Soto, the whole baseball world has been obsessed with trying to figure out where he could go and what a fair trade would even look like. That likely won’t change, with Soto rumors sure to continue flying every day until the August 2 deadline, unless a trade is completed sooner.
MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently took a look at the situation, outlining how Soto is arguably the most attractive trade chip in recent memory or perhaps ever. Given his talent, youth and remaining years of control, just about every team is going to be calling the Nats and getting a feel for what kind of deal they’re looking to make.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the discussions have begun and, unsurprisingly, Soto is drawing widespread interest. He lists the Mariners, Padres, Giants, Dodgers, Cardinals, Yankees and Mets as seven teams that have already opened up the lines of communication with Washington.
None of those are particularly surprising, with all seven of them having been listed by Adams as being among the best fits. There is a potential complicating factor in the talks, as Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports that the Nationals want to combine Soto with Patrick Corbin in trades, in order to get Corbin’s contract off their books. As an additional detail, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post looks at the pros and cons of including Corbin in the deal, adding that Corbin has a partial no-trade clause. Despite that, Dougherty adds that this won’t prevent a deal from coming together, implying that either Corbin’s clause is minimal enough to not include the primary suitors, or perhaps that he would be willing to waive the clause and move to a new club with Soto.
While the Nationals are surely open to moving Corbin and getting out from under his contract, it’s unclear how important that is to them. Signed to a six-year, $140MM contract prior to 2019, the first season was a resounding success. Corbin threw 202 innings with a 3.25 ERA, then added another 23 1/3 frames in the postseason as the Nats won the first World Series title in the history of the franchise. It’s been essentially all downhill since then, however, with Corbin’s strikeouts disappearing and ERA escalating. After strikeout rates of 30.8% in 2018 and 28.5% in 2019, he’s been hovering around 20% in the three subsequent seasons. His ERA shot up to 4.66 in 2020, then 5.82 last year and 5.87 this year.
As for Corbin’s contract, it was heavily backloaded. His salary this year is $23.42MM, leaving approximately $8MM to be paid out from the deadline onwards. Then he’ll make $24.42MM next year and a big jump to $35.42 in 2024. That’s the last year of the deal, though there’s also $10MM in deferred money to be paid out from November of 2024 to January of 2026.
The combination of Corbin’s poor performance and hefty salary give him negative trade value. As such, any Corbin-Soto combo trade will lead to the Nationals recouping a lesser prospect package than a trade involving Soto alone. On the surface, it seems strange that the Nats would be strongly motivated towards such a scenario. Trading Soto means giving up on being competitive through 2024 anyhow, so getting Corbin’s contract off the books for that season shouldn’t be a high priority. With Soto out of the picture, the only other meaningful salary they will be paying in 2024 and beyond is going to Stephen Strasburg, who’s getting $35MM per year through 2026. Spending $70MM to Strasburg and Corbin in 2024 surely isn’t ideal, but the rest of the roster will likely be filled out with pre-arb players or those who have just qualified and earned minimal raises. The club ran a payroll of $183MM as recently as last year, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, and has already stripped it down to $135MM this year.
But if the Nats are indeed motivated to get that money off the ledger ahead of schedule, it will change the calculus of which teams make the most sense as trading partners. Teams on the receiving end will be taking on two meaningful salaries, as Soto is well-paid himself. He’s earning $17.1MM this year and will be due arbitration raises in the next two campaigns, possibly getting near the $25MM range next year and above $30MM for 2024, as long as he stays healthy. Even for the rest of this campaign, Soto will have about $6MM left to be paid out at the time of the deadline. Combined with the approximately $8MM owed to Corbin, that will add $14MM to this year’s payroll for any team acquiring both.
As Steve Adams highlighted in the piece linked above, all seven teams that Nightengale listed have marquee young players that could headline a return in a Soto deal. The prospect of taking Corbin in return might be more exciting to some than others, however. The Padres crossed the luxury tax line last year and have been right up against it this year, seemingly loath to cross it for a second straight season and therefore facing escalating penalties. They’ve been rumored to be trying to trade away one of their pitchers in order to create payroll space for additions elsewhere. Suddenly acquiring another expensive starter, and one who isn’t pitching well, would fly in the face of those plans. Although, perhaps Soto’s availability is such a unique situation that it makes them rethink everything.
The Cardinals had an Opening Day payroll of $155MM, per Cot’s, which is a bit shy of their $164MM record. Adding $14MM to get into record territory is likely an acceptable outcome this year, but would become complicated in the years to come. Adam Wainwright‘s $17.5MM is the biggest contract coming off the books at the end of the year, but there would likely be mutual interest in another deal, based on precedent. He’s having another excellent season and would likely command a similar contract. Yadier Molina‘s $10MM is coming off the books, though Soto and Corbin would add about $50MM onto it, and the Cards would still have to figure out a solution behind the plate.
The Mets already have a massive payroll but don’t seem to have any limitations in that regard. Owner Steve Cohen has expressed a willingness to spend beyond the fourth CBT barrier, which the club is already right on top of. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource calculates their CBT number as $290.1MM, a smidge over the $290MM barrier. Regardless of the financial picture, however, there’s the question of whether the Nats have any interest in trading Soto within the division. Andy Martino of SNY reports that Soto landing with the Mets is extremely unlikely, with the Nats not keen on seeing Soto return to Washington so frequently with a new uniform.
The Giants and Mariners might be in a better position than these other teams to take on meaningful salary in order to get Soto. The Giants had a payroll of $155MM on Opening Day, per Cot’s, but were up at $201MM a few years ago. They also have some decent money coming off the books this winter. Carlos Rodon is making $21.5MM and can opt out if he reaches 110 innings pitched. Given that he’s currently at 105 and having another excellent season, he’s a virtual lock to trigger that opt-out. Brandon Belt accepted the $18.4MM qualifying offer and will return to the open market in a few months. Brandon Crawford is making $16MM this year and next, but a free agent after that. The only guaranteed contract they have on the books for 2024 is the $12MM owed to Anthony DeSclafani. The Mariners opened the year at $104MM, per Cot’s, but have been in the $150-160 range in recent years.
As for the Yankees and Dodgers, they’re both running franchise-high payrolls but might still like the idea of Corbin’s contract being involved. Recent reporting has suggested both clubs are leery of decimating their farm systems in order to acquire Soto, despite his talents. Taking on Corbin and reducing the prospect hit should appeal to both clubs.
Of course, all this still seems to be exploratory on the part of the Nationals. Getting rid of Corbin’s money surely has appeal, but they will also have to weigh that against the offers they get that don’t involve Corbin. If one teams offers, say, six good prospects but doesn’t want Corbin, would the Nats really take a less package just to get Corbin out the door? There’s at least some precedent, given that the Red Sox included David Price in the Mookie Betts deal. However, the situations are not entirely analogous, as the Red Sox had gone over the luxury tax in the two previous seasons and were primarily interested in tearing down their roster for the cost savings. For the Nats, they are already operating with a budget well below previous seasons and should theoretically be more concerned with maximizing their prospect return in any Soto deal.