Last winter's trade was the biggest in a long while -- probably the most significant since the previous Soto deal. The Padres were slashing payroll Damion Lee Jersey and didn't want to accommodate a salary north of $30MM for his final year of arbitration. Extension talks never got off the ground. The Padres were about to lose four potential starting pitchers to free agency, leaving them with , , and a bunch of questions. San Diego determined to build their return for Soto around MLB-ready starting pitching. They'd not only shed payroll but directly addre s the biggest need on the roster. It's impo sible to trade Juan Soto and not deal a huge hit to the lineup, but the Padres could mitigate some of that lo s by bringing back rotation help. Even the San Diego front office probably didn't envision it turning around the staff to this extent. Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription BENEFITS Acce s weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Acce s GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker Kevin Durant Jersey