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Juan Soto was traded from the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees last offseason. It was one of the club's first major moves following the death of the team's owner, Peter Seidler.
Seidler's health issues were catching up to him last year after battling type 1 diabetes and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He died in November 2023, and Soto was traded a month later in December.
Seidler and Soto had a very close relationship, as Seidler thought the world of Soto. MLB super agent Scott Boras believes the slugger would have still been with the Padres had Seidler been still alive, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
"From everything that Peter said to me, there is no way he would have traded Juan Soto. I don't think that was in his DNA. It was very personal to him," - said Boras.
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Seidler was looking to settle on a long-term deal with Soto, but that quickly fell apart following his passing. Now, he's with the Yankees and expected to become a free agent following the completion of the 2024 season.
Peter Seidler was looking to add Aaron Judge into the mix alongside Juan Soto
Two years ago, Aaron Judge was the biggest free agent walking on the open market. Interested, Peter Seidler gave Judge a call and he and his agents flew to San Diego to meet.
They were reportedly ready to offer Judge a 10-year, $400 million contract, but he turned them down. He then signed a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Bronx Bombers.
"But man, I was very impressed by Seidler. If we weren't coming from the Yankees and the situation we have here, you never know" - said Judge.
Judge in San Diego would have been crazy. Just imagine him stepping up to the plate with Fernaando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado on base. They would have been a nightmare to opposing pitchers.
Instead, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto teamed up in the Bronx, and it is going great. The Yankees sit atop the highly competitive American League East with a 36-17 record, three games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.
The Yanks hold the second-best record across Major League Baseball, only sitting behind the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies. They truly look like a contender to hoist the World Series trophy this season.
