MLB Rumors: Juan Soto extension, Red Sox star's future, and Cubs benching

MLB Rumors: Red Sox 'unlikely' to keep Alex Verdugo long term

Red Sox slugger Alex Verdugo may not be in Boston for long.

The star outfielder didn't get dealt at the August 1 deadline likely due to a lack of fair return packages — the Red Sox weren't about to let him leave for pennies.

But given recent rumors, if you were to ask Alex Cora and the Red Sox whether Verdugo was considered a cornerstone piece in the franchise's long-term plans, Cora may not have to think so hard about that one. In 2023, Verdugo has become an inconsistent liability in the batting rotation, and it may be better for everyone involved to part ways.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote of Verdugo's future:

Verdugo is entering his final year of arbitration, the same point at which the Sox traded Betts and Hunter Renfroe. While few better hitters will be available in free agency, it's highly doubtful the organization will commit to Verdugo long-term. If the Sox had just cut the cord and moved forward, they at least would have avoided this latest dustup.

Verdugo was recently scratched from the starting lineup this weekend due to a reason Cora wouldn't reveal, but it didn't appear to be health-related. This was hardly the first time Verdugo faced some sort of disciplinary action, having been benched in the past for his lack of hustle and disappointing baserunning.

Verdugo, part of the infamous Mookie Betts trade with the Dodgers three years ago, will probably stay in Boston for the rest of the 2023 season, but as Rosenthal stated, his long-term future is in serious question.

MLB Rumors: Latest Juan Soto report doesn't guarantee Padres anything

From the Padres' perspective, extending Juan Soto is a no-brainer. San Diego would be foolish not to at least put an offer on the table and try to hold onto their star investment, even if he has entered a slump this season.

Will the Padres try to extend him? Yes, of course. The more worthy question to ponder is: Does Soto want to stay?

The 24-year-old has a year of arbitration eligibility left before he'll become an unrestricted free agent. Signing an extension with the Padres now would work best in the team's favor, yet Soto and well-established agent Scott Boras probably know better than to do that.

Unless the Padres give him an offer he truly can't refuse, Soto's best bet would be to wait and test free agency in 2025.

FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray reinforced that notion that Soto "will almost certainly test free agency" at the end of the 2024 season.

Soto turned down $440 million from the Washington Nationals last year, a clear indicator that he and his agent, Scott Boras, want to establish his value on the free-agent market. That's how Boras operates with all of his players, and it's unimaginable that he would change course with Soto.

Part of a 2022 mega-trade with the Nationals, Soto joined the Padres as a marquee offensive threat who would help San Diego make a World Series run. With the Padres' wildly disappointing past year, Soto's name became entrenched in trade rumors this past month, but the franchise didn't move him.

After a poor start to the 2023 season, Soto has kicked things up a notch, currently slashing .276/.421/.526 with a .947 OPS.

Having survived the trade deadline, Soto may hang around in San Diego long enough to see if he can get one of those juicy, lucrative deals that the franchise has handed out in recent years — Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., and a few others all secured their bags.

For the right price, Soto might stay. But since he's a year-and-a-half away from hitting free agency, there's just no guarantee.

MLB Rumors: Why Seiya Suzuki is riding the pine, explained

The Cubs have a decent shot at postseason baseball, and they're not going to let Seiya Suzuki's struggles drag them down.

That's the essence of what Cubs manager David Ross said about his decision to bench Suzuki after yet another sluggish performance on Friday.

In his last ten games, Suzuki has batted just .132 with one home run and 4 RBIs, and he has a .491 OPS. Those numbers are not going to help Chicago make a last-ditch run for the playoffs, so Ross is keeping him off the field until his "head is in the right place."

Ross said of Suzuki:

We'll give him some time, and he'll be back in there when we feel like he can help us win games… I know he wants to be in the lineup, wants to be playing and wants to help the team win. But he's going to work. He wants to be in there and be better, but he also knows he's not helping the team right now.

Just 2.5 games behind the first-place Brewers, the Cubs have a realistic shot at taking the division as long as they prioritize winning over player development. Other Cubs players (Cody Bellinger, Mike Tauchman, and newly acquired Jeimer Candelario) have been producing; Suzuki has not.

Benching Suzuki is a sad but simple solution for the Cubs who can't afford to sabotage their 2023 season over one rusty player. Once the right-fielder gets back into the swing of things, he can have his spot back. Right now, it's crunch time.