Yankees' Cashman not surprised Padres landed Soto

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman isn't surprised that star outfielder Juan Soto landed with the San Diego Padres in a megadeal on deadline day.

During an interview with WFAN's "Carton and Roberts" on Thursday, Cashman listed the Padres and St. Louis Cardinals as the clubs that seemed to catch Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's eye in negotiations for Soto.

"I think it was very predictable in the end that San Diego was the most likely candidate, (the Padres) or St. Louis," Cashman said.

"We actually were able to determine that we necessarily weren't a match as much as other places. And so, I think it was clear from the industry as well as for myself that we weren't in a driver's seat for something like that. It sounded like the Cardinals and the Padres. I can't even say that that was a true and accurate statement, but that's what all the noise was about."

Cashman quickly answered no when asked if he felt New York was ever close to acquiring Soto.

"There was nothing coming out of the Washington operation that (Soto's) best match was coming our way," he said.

The Yankees reportedly weren't interested in moving any of their top three prospects in a Soto deal.

Cashman said he believes Rizzo had particular targets in mind and honed in on them in trade discussions.

"You have to know your opponent, and Mike Rizzo is a former scouting director," Cashman said. "I think there are certain things that he's going to gravitate to and he wants, and his heart and eyes were set on a certain very few locations more so than others."

The Padres landed Soto and first baseman Josh Bell from the Nationals in a landscape-shifting eight-player blockbuster trade.