The San Diego Padres have agreed in principle to a trade with the Washington Nationals to acquire Juan Soto, but Eric Hosmer could hold it up. Hosmer was one of the players in the deal to be sent to the Washington Nationals, but due to his no trade clause, he is in control of whether he goes or not. Given the monumental level of this deal, Hosmer has an incredible amount of leverage.
He is in a position to blow up a trade that would drastically shift the balance of power in the MLB. While the Padres can negotiate with him to agree to a trade, that consent has yet to come. Fans across the league are hoping he will not waive his no-trade clause.
Ken Rosenthal of "The Athletic" provided an update to the role Hosmer plays in a Juan Soto deal.
While some think Hosmer might just be leveraging his position to maximize his compensation, he is currently blocking the trade. If he continues to do so, the fans who don't want to see Juan Soto in a Padres uniform will be rewarded.
Hosmer will definitely need to see an increase in pay or some sort of plan to accept this deal.
If this trade fails to go through, the ramifications will be severe. Players will know that their team intended to trade them but failed to finish the deal.
Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers in particular are hoping this deal falls apart.
This could be a turning point in MLB and San Diego Padres history. A trio of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Juan Soto would be one of the most deadly lineups of all time. If this deal does not go through because Eric Hosmer refuses to go to Washington, he will become a historic figure in baseball.
Eric Hosmer is presetnly blocking the Padres' acquisition of Soto, and fans are hoping that he will stand his ground.
Can the San Diego Padres acquire Juan Soto without Eric Hosmer's approval?
While the easiest solution is to reach an agreement with Hosmer, they could swap him out with another player. The difficulty will be finding a player on their roster of a similar caliber.
Eric Hosmer is an All-Star and four-time Golden Glove winner, which makes him a desirable addition to the Nationals. If the Padres cannot rectify this situation with Hosmer, they will miss out on one of the best trade targets of the century.