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Juan Soto made the first embarrassing mistake of Spring Training, and Twitter certainly won't be letting him forget it. Soto is known for his offensive prowess and consistency, with his defensive abilities constantly being questioned. This is despite the fact that he was a Gold Glove finalist last season, which many viewed as being undeserved.
Talkin' Baseball shared a clip of the Padres star dropping what should have been an easy catch. This play may have been overblown by fans considering how early it is, but it is a glimpse of real baseball.
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Mistakes like this are bound to happen during Spring Training, but they usually don't happen to such high-profile players. Soto has made catches like that thousands of times on big stages. With MLB Opening Day fast approaching, errors like this will need to be cleaned up.
Juan Soto is due a big payday, which many expect to come from the Padres. They gave up many valuable assets to acquire him from the Washington Nationals, showing the faith they have in him. Despite an expensive offseason, there is still hope they can retain Soto in the long term.
If there is any time that Soto can make an error like this and have it not matter, it's right now. While it won't assuage fans' fears that he shouldn't be in left field, he has plenty of time to hone his craft. If he is able to be servicable and mostly-mistake-free during the regular season, his presence in the outfield won't be a hindrance.
However, Juan Soto's detractors won't forget this error anytime soon.
Juan Soto does not need to be perfect for the San Diego Padres to win in 2023
The Padres are all-in for a championship in 2023, and they have the talent to get there. They added Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals and Xander Bogaerts from the Boston Red Sox last year. Paired with Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., they have four bonafide stars.
This group should be able to pick up the slack if any of them temporarily fall short of expectations.
