Soto expecting a more laid-back ASG than in '22

Juan Soto stole the show at All-Star Week in Los Angeles last year. He headlined media day as the subject of intense trade speculation. Then, he won the Home Run Derby in dramatic fashion that night.

It was a whirlwind. It was a thrill. It was also exhausting -- and it certainly wasn't a "break."

Soto really, really wants a calmer All-Star break this year. He's virtually guaranteed to have it, too.

"In the past, I just went there and tried to put on a show,” Soto said last week. “This one, I'm just going to try to enjoy it as much as I can. Instead of putting on a show, just enjoy the show."

And, yes, Soto will get a chance to be part of that show on Tuesday in Seattle. He's one of two players representing the Padres in the All-Star Game, alongside closer Josh Hader.

But this time around, Soto will not be the show. He's not starting the game. He's chosen not to defend his Derby crown -- "just resting my body, I feel good about it," he said.

He's also no longer at the center of one of the biggest Trade Deadline whirlwinds ever.

A year ago, it was mere hours before Soto flew to Los Angeles that it became public the Nationals would look to trade him. He'd reportedly turned down a 14-year contract extension offer. The bidding from other teams would begin imminently.

As such, Soto was the center of an All-Star frenzy. He answered questions for 45 minutes in both English and Spanish, doing his best to keep up his usual affable demeanor -- all while dealing with the shock of learning that he would soon be departing the only organization he'd ever known.

"It was a lot going on there," Soto said. "There was so much going on last year that I let things go by me, and I didn't realize it. So just sit down, try to enjoy every second, every moment."

Two weeks after that All-Star Game, the Padres won the bidding war -- and the spoils of putting Juan Soto, one of the generation’s best hitters, in the middle of their lineup. Except Soto proceeded to struggle upon his arrival in San Diego. He posted a .778 OPS down the stretch, well below his career mark.

Ever the October showman, Soto still authored a handful of memorable moments during the Padres’ run to the NLCS last Autumn. But his struggles persisted into the early part of the ’23 season. The Padres had paid a king’s ransom for Soto at the previous summer’s Trade Deadline. Through 300 plate appearances in his Padres tenure, Soto had mostly underperformed. (To be clear: His numbers were fine -- well above league average, in fact. Just not up to his usual all-MLB caliber.)

Then, it clicked. Soto found the all-fields bat path he’d been searching for. His ability to reach base never once wavered. But finally he complemented that generational plate discipline with his generational ability to do damage and drive the baseball. Juan Soto was Juan Soto again. He posted a 1.114 OPS in May, then a .914 mark in June, all while reaching base at a clip well above .400.

He was playing like an All-Star again. Last week’s announcement brought vindication.

"It tells you that I'm going the right way," Soto said. "I've been working, trying to find my path, the past year. There's been ups and downs, been a lot of frustration and everything. But now you see that I've been a little bit more consistent in my work and everything. It just feels great."

At long last, Soto will now get that hard-earned “break” he’s been searching for.

He might not be spared trade speculation entirely. The Padres have underperformed in the first half. If they crater before the Deadline, they’ll need to consider the possibility of selling -- and perhaps selling big.

Still, every indication is that Soto would be off-limits. He’s under contract through next season, and -- regardless of how the 2023 season ends -- the Padres plan to enter ’24 as World Series contenders. Soto is the type of player you want at the center of that charge.

For now, Soto certainly seems wholly content as a Padre -- and as a Padres All-Star.

“It's an amazing feeling,” Soto said. “It’s great to represent the San Diego Padres there for the first time as an All-Star. Means a lot to me.”