Juan Soto made big news on his way to San Diego. And he made big news on his way out.

Though the Padres tried to maximize their return for the star slugger, now a Yankee, even A.J. Preller, president of baseball operations for the club, called Wednesday’s trade with New York “a little bit exciting and disappointing.”

“You’re talking about a future Hall of Famer,” Preller told MLB.com. “We’ve been on both ends of it.”

He’s talking about the to-do in August 2022 when Preller executed a blockbuster deal with the Washington Nationals, bringing Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego in exchange for rookies MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams, three other prospects and veteran Luke Voit.

But the Padres, pitching poor and unlikely to sign Soto beyond 2024, this time drew a bounty by trading Soto away, along with Trent Grisham.

Three of the five players coming to San Diego will have an immediate role with the big club. The breakdown:

  • Michael King – Preller is straightforward with how he envisions King’s fit, though he mostly pitched out of the bullpen in New York. “I think we’re going to explore the starting option with him,” he told MLB.com. King, 28, is a right-hander who made 40 appearances as a reliever last year and nine as a starter.
  • Jhony Brito – Another right-hander who can pitch in the rotation and out of the ‘pen, Brito, 25, went 9-7 with a 4.28 ERA last season, his first in the big leagues.
  • Kyle Higashioka – The veteran catcher, 33, hit .236 last year. Luis Campusano is set to take over catching duties, and Higashioka will be there as backup or replacement if Campusano has trouble adjusting.
  • Randy Vásquez – ranked as the Yankees’ No. 13 prospect, the right-hander also logged time in New York in 2023, pitching in 11 games.
  • Drew Thorpe – He was the Yankees’ No. 5 prospect – and slipped into the top 100 list in all of baseball at No. 99 – but he also was named the sport’s Pitching Prospect of the Year in October. “We didn’t look at this as three years down the road. I think he’s somebody that could impact us this year,” Preller said of the right-hander, 23, whose stuff, the GM added, includes an “elite changeup.” Thorpe’s been assigned to Double-A San Antonio.

Understandably, none of those names stir up the emotions that Soto did upon his arrival 16 months ago. But Soto’s addition did not push the Padres over the top in 2023, a notable disappointment for the Friars, who still want to sit atop the National League West.

“We’re going to do what we can to balance our roster, have a really complete roster, because that’s what you need,” Preller told MLB.com.

Note: Inset of A.J. Preller, photo credit, screen shot via MLB.com.