Juan Soto Trade Rumors: Cardinals Viewed as Front-Runners for Nationals Star

The biggest story in baseball until the trade deadline is whether or not Juan Soto is moved.

The National League Central team is seen by rivals as a potential front-runner to land the Washington Nationals star, according to a report.

According to the report, the Nationals want young controllable players already in the majors and the Cards line up for that.

If the Nationals do make a trade, Heyman and Sherman highlighted a number of potential trade targets in the St. Louis organization.

The report pointed to the New York Yankees, New York Mets, SeattleMariners, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants as possible teams that could pursue the outfielder.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last Saturday that it was open to talks after he turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract offer.

It gives teams around the league the chance to acquire a player who has already won a World Series, a batting title and two Silver Sluggers to go with two All-Star selections.

St. Louis is 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central race and the addition of someone of Soto's caliber could make a difference down the stretch. Nolan Arenado has an opt-out in his contract at the end of the year, so it would provide stability.

If the Cards were able to reach the playoffs and unleash it in multiple short series, the rest of the NL would be in for a challenge.

The organization would need to part ways with some of the young talent, but Soto could be a franchise cornerstone for a long time.