Brad Hand Sweepstakes: The Tampa Bay Rays
Credit: USA Today Sports
It is no secret that the San Diego Padres will trade their lone all-star representative from this year’s mid-season classic.
Brad Hand has optimal value right now and the Padres are not in the state to compete just yet. In order to build for the future, Hand must be moved for prospects who can be key additions to a potential playoff push in the coming years. That is the reality of the situation.
The issue has a silver lining though, as Hand will command a hefty return and the Padres will have their pick of who they want to obtain. Right now, there are 7-10 teams that have varying interest in Brad Hand. All of these teams are in a playoff race and each front office is well aware that a bullpen can be vital for a championship run.
Teams may have played it cool at first in regards to Hand but, as the deadline nears, they will surely pay the asking price for a reliever of his quality. When push comes to shove, the Padres may just get what the want.
The Padres have kept their cards close to their vest, but I imagine things will progress rapidly in the coming days.
Of all the team that have interest, the Tamp Bay Rays have surfaced as a front-runner. Dan Jennings was just acquired front he White Sox for former first round pick Casey Gillaspie. The Rays are making moves and trying to fix their bullpen as they currently stand 2.5 games back in the A.L. Wild Card.
The team from Tampa has lost seven out of their last 10 games, so they will be cautious when it comes to mortgaging their future.
Do not expect Brent Honeywell and his amazing screwball to go anywhere, anytime soon. The 22-year-old is just about major league ready and is the Rays #1 prospect. He is also the #14 in all of baseball and will not be moved.
The Rays have a decent farm system, with plenty of young talent to entice the Padres. A.J. Preller has done his homework on this franchise. At this point, it is all about which team pays the steep asking price. The Rays could be a serious player, but they need to pick up their play. They recently added Lucas Duda to their team so they have not given up just yet.
Let’s start with who the Padres surely have their eyes on.
This young man would be a huge acquisition for the Padres in return for Hand. Adames is currently the Rays second ranked prospect and he is also the 18th overall prospect in all of major league baseball according to MLB.com. The shortstop could very well be untouchable. A.J. Preller will surely ask though. The right handed hitter is currently in Triple-A where he is performing quite nicely. He has recorded a .267/.360/.410 slash line in 96 games. The 21-year-old sits with seven homers and 44 RBI and has put up a .770 OPS. He looks to be the real deal as he has all the tools for success in the game.
The Padres would have a hard time acquiring this young man. The Rays are not desperate by any means. If the team wants a chance at Adames, they would likely need to deal prospects along with Hand to get a deal done. At this point in a rebuild, that would be counterproductive. Ruling this out completely would be foolish though as the Padres have certainly shown they can be creative when it comes to trades. The Rays have big plans for this young man at short. Adames to the Padres would be fantastic for the Friars, but the asking price would be really steep. Brad Hand would just not do it.
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James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.
Personally, I like the idea of a Brad Hand for a package of Lucius Fox, Garrett Whitley, and either Genesis Cabrera or Yonny Chirinos.