Juan Soto to New York! Grading the Yankees-Padres MLB trade - ESPN

The deal: Yankees acquire OFs Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from the Padres for RHPs Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and C Kyle Higashioka.

MLB's winter meetings have mostly dragged along, held back by the weight of a Shohei Ohtani-induced limbo. There have been a smattering of moves here and there, but mostly these meetings have been defined by inaction. That made Wednesday's news that the Yankees had landed the biggest name on this winter's trade market all the more startling, adding a touch of vibrancy to the false sky of the self-contained biosphere known as the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee.

The deal between New York and San Diego is a significant exchange of present and future value and alters the payroll outlook of both franchises. The Yankees and Padres entered last season as hyped title contenders and exited as major disappointments. Now, by changing the uniform that will be worn by superstar Soto, the teams have altered the landscape of the pennant races in both leagues.

Let's grade this thing.

Yankees: After nearing finishing below the .500 mark for the first time in three decades, the Yankees seem intent on leaping back into title contention by following the route that has so often defined Bronx baseball during the division era. In a nutshell, this approach is simple: the bigger the name and higher the salary, the more likely it is that he will don pinstripes.

There are some nuances to GM Brian Cashman's current roster approach that might characterize this cannonball splash of a move a little differently than New York's usual penchant for collecting stars. Still, there is an uncomfortable element of overvaluing the short term over the long term, a tradeoff that could