Will Nationals trade Juan Soto? 9 All-Stars weigh in | Please not Red Sox, Yankees’ Gerrit Cole says

LOS ANGELES — Yankees ace Gerrit Cole still remembers the fateful 1-2 pitch that he made to Juan Soto in Game 1 of the 2019 World Series, his Houston Astros versus the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

“He backsided a two-strike fastball about 445 feet the opposite way,” Cole said during Monday’s All-Star Workout media session outside Dodger Stadium. “It was on the outside corner. That makes him pretty special.”

Cole kept talking. “And then the discipline. His awareness of the strike zone, at least in that series, was on par with some of the Matt Carpenter you’ve been seeing lately. So those two traits … massive power and great discipline.”

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Soto was a second-year player in ‘19 who turned 21 between Cole’s two starts, the opener and Game 5. The left-handed hitter was 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two-run double facing Cole in Game 1, a 5-4 Nationals win. Four days later, Cole held the Nats to one run on three hits over seven innings in a 7-1 Houston win, but Soto burned him again for two hits in three at-bats, one of them another homer.

If not for Soto, the Nationals don’t beat the Astros in seven games to win it all.

Three years later, the Dominican might be the best hitter in the majors. He’s won a batting title. He’s had a 34-homer, 110-RBI season. He led the majors with 145 walks last year and leads with 79 this year. And he’s only 23. Knowing what they have, the rebuilding took a big swing this month at making a Soto a National for life by offering a record $440 million for 15 years.

When Soto turned it down, presumably because the $29.3 million average salary would rank 15th in the majors, the Nationals immediately did a 180 on their stance that they’d never trade their young star. He’s now available and could change teams before baseball’s Aug. 2 deadline, if the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers or any other contender with money to spend offer a huge package of young players and prospects that appeal to Nats management.

Like the Astros trading for Justin Verlander at the 2017 trade deadline and the Dodgers acquiring Mookie Betts before the 2020 season, Soto could put someone over the top.

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Before Soto showed off his power again in Home Run Derby victory on Monday night, NJ Advance Media talked to nine All-Stars about his new status as a trade chip, including two Yankees. Some offered advice to the young star, some opted to say little and some raved about Soto being so good at a young age.

GERRIT COLE, YANKEES RHP: “You know where I really don’t want him going? I don’t want him going up to Boston. But if he’s going to go, I want him to come to us. He’s going to be a generational great, so whatever organization gets him, if they do indeed trade him, is going to be in a good spot if they can keep him for the next 10 years.”

AARON JUDGE, YANKEES CF: “Juan’s a special player. He’s a special talent all-around. I could sit here and talk about everything he does on the field, but he’s also a leader at such a young age. He’s a leader in that (Nationals) clubhouse. Anywhere he goes, if he ends up getting traded or the Nationals work out a deal at some point and he stays there for a long time, he’ll be pretty awesome.”

PETE ALONSO, METS 1B: “There’s a lot that may or may not happen. Soto could not be traded. I don’t know where he’s going and I’m sure he doesn’t even know where he’s going.”

MOOKIE BETTS, DODGERS RF: “Soto can be the final piece for any team. There’s no advice. He’s going to do what’s best for him. Nobody can tell him what’s best other than himself. I think you have to let him sit back and do his thing. If he wants to turn down that contract, it’s not for anybody else to criticize.”

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT, CARDINALS 1B: “Obviously, Soto is one of the best players in the game. Whether he stays in Washington or gets traded, he’ll help any team tremendously.”

MANNY MACHADO, PADRES 3B: “Wherever he goes, he’s going to be impactful. Hopefully he’s wearing a Padres uniform, but who knows? He’s a freaking damn, good-ass player! People want you when you’re that good and he’s worth every penny. He’s already won one (World Series) and he’s going to help bring a championship to whatever team he goes to.”

ALBERT PUJOLS, CARDINALS DH: “It’s between Juan Soto, his agent and his team. Whatever decision he makes, I don’t have any comment on it. He’s one of the best young players in the game right now. He’s a superstar. He’s awesome. Plus, he’s from my country.”

KYLE SCHWARBER, PHILLIES OF: “I love Juan as a human, so if he’s happy, I’m happy. If he’s on another team, he’s on another team. But he is a very special talent and it’s not very often that you see someone at a young age who is so mature at the plate. He also definitely brings a different type of energy to this game.”

JUSTIN VERLANDER, ASTROS RHP: “He’s a game-changer. Anytime you’re talking about somebody like that being traded, I think everybody’s ears perk up. I wouldn’t want him going anywhere where I have to face him a lot.”

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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.

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