Nationals manager Dave Martinez believes Juan Soto would have no problem in New York

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Yankees’ and Padres’ front offices were in the same sprawling resort Monday, though it was not immediately clear whether their shared location spurred any further talks on a trade for Juan Soto.

The potential of landing Soto looms over the Yankees’ entire offseason, but on the first day of the winter meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, he was still a Padre with San Diego asking for a haul in return.

In the meantime, the manager who knows Soto best said he had no doubt the three-time All-Star could handle playing in New York.

“He loves to play the game of baseball,” said Dave Martinez, who managed Soto on the Nationals for his first 4 ¹/₂ seasons in the big leagues. “The first time I ever met him, I just asked him, I said, ‘Hey, what motivates you, what drives you? And the first thing he says is, ‘I love baseball. That’s all I

Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman are scheduled to speak to reporters on Tuesday, though as long as Soto is a Padre, there will be little they can say about him publicly.

But Martinez gushed about the outfielder who would provide a much-needed jolt to the Yankees’ lineup if a deal comes to fruition.

“I love him,” Martinez said. “He’s a competitor. He’s one of the purest hitters in the game. He’s a game changer. I’ve always wished him the best. Whoever does get him, if San Diego decides to keep him, they know they got a good one. But wherever he ends up, they’re going to get a good player.”

The lefty was one of the Yankees’ most reliable bullpen arms over the last three seasons, posting a 2.82 ERA across 165 appearances.

Without Peralta, the Yankees do not have a surefire southpaw in their bullpen, though Nick Ramirez pitched well in mostly lower-leverage spots last season.