WILL THE YANKEES BALK AT SOTO'S PRICE TAG?

Brian Cashman wants to bag Juan Soto. The Padres know that Cashman is desperate to get him. The Padres also know that Cashman is in hot water and needs to have a great winter to try and please some fans. That means he will do anything to get Soto, including making a move some fans would hate.

But is Cashman dumber than I think he already is? That remains to be seen but I am sure that answers come sooner rather than later. There's one name the Padres want included in this trade for Soto that the Yankees are balking at and I get why.

The Padres want Drew Thorpe. He's the pitcher they have been dreaming about. He's also the pitcher that could be the first quality starter the Yankees develop in the last three decades. He has great makeup and amazing potential. He also just had one hell of a season and was named the Pitching Prospect of the Year by MiLB.com.

Now prospects are a dime a dozen, I believe that. He is not ready to help the Yankees right now and he may fall off of the face of the earth but is he the guy we want to part with for a 1-year rental of Juan Soto that costs $30 million dollars. The Padres want the Yankees to eat all of his salary. That's a hefty price tag.

I have no problems giving up prospects for top tier talent. I do however, have issues with giving up the wrong prospects for a short-term rental that is expensive. I believe, that's what this is. Soto's agent is none other than Scott Boras so there is no potential for an extension. He's already said they are looking for a long-term deal at the end of the season around $500 million. The extension idea is a fantasy, it's not going to happen.

I think the Yankees have more cards to play then they realize. The Padres are not going to trade him within their division so the Dodgers and Giants are out of the picture. The Yankees have more trade chips to offer than the Blue Jays and the Mets are less likely to be a fit for Soto. The Yankees farm system may not be top 10 anymore, but they aren't too far off. They still have enough pitching prospects to piece together a deal to get Soto. It doesn't have to include Thorpe and I don't think it should.

There's a deal here to be made. The Yankees have other chips not named Thorpe. Pick another prospect and pull the trigger. But Thorpe is the wrong one to use, and if Cashman folds here, he will be the dumbest GM in the history of sports.

Also read: YANKEES & SOTO IN A NEW LEVEL OF CRAZYTOWN

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj