Salt is the only thing that will penetrate completely into the meat, bringing with it some of the water. The salt does four things, increases and locks in moisture, tenderizes and improves flavor.
All the other herbs, spices, sugar, wine and whatnots, stay on the surface of the meat, penetration is minimal at an 1/8" or so.
Soda used as a brine still only flavors and tenderizes the outside of the meat, unless salt is added.
And still it just the salt and water in the soda that penetrates.
Same goes for some fruit juices, and they have to be unpasteurized for their natural enzymes to effectively tenderize.