A trade for Yordan Alvarez makes sense for the San Diego Padres. But how feasible is this idea? Could it really happen?

A.J. Preller never sleeps on improving his team.

If there is a move to be made, the San Diego Padres’ G.M. is front and center.

Right now, the Padres need offensive help. Even with almost a billion dollars committed to the unit, they are not producing. Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts are failing to live up to their paychecks. To make matters worse, all four are signed long-term and are not going anywhere soon.

With the loss of Ramon Laureano last week to hip surgery, the Padres are exploring options in left field moving forward.

Jase Bowen and Samad Taylor were recalled this week to offset the loss of Laureano. It remains to be seen if either inexperienced player can provide enough of a spark to remain fixtures in the lineup moving forward. San Diego will make moves. You can just feel it.

The Houston Astros are 31-39 and toiling in fourth place in the A.L. West.

It remains to be seen if the Astros will sell or try to add at the trade deadline. There are pieces of value on the roster if they choose to sell. The team’s best hitter, Yordan Alvarez, is arguably the best fit for the Padres in terms of a left fielder moving forward. Alvarez is a left-handed hitter and would slide into the Padres lineup in the middle. Putting Alvarez in between Tatis and Machado could unlock something.

Houston G.M. Dana Brown is coming out in the media and speaking about the potential of trading Alvarez. “We’ve had zero conversations internally about moving Yordan,” Astros general manager Dana Brown said Monday. “Zero.” This is coming after reports that the Astros could entertain offers for the All-Star.

Yordan Alvarez is a bona fide star. The soon-to-be 29-year-old slugger owns a .972 career OPS in more than 2,700 at-bats in the major leagues. The 2019 A.L. Rookie of the Year is a three-time MLB All-Star and owns 192 career home runs. He is a stud.

Alvarez is under team control through the 2028 season at $26.833 million per season. With two and a half years of control left and a little over $60 million, he is a great value. The Astros would not be inclined to deal Alvarez. At least not at this point.

However, that will not stop A.J. Preller. He can surely see that the Cuban is a perfect fit for the Padres.

The price tag

If San Diego can entice the Astros with young players, then perhaps a deal can be worked out.

Ethan Salas is the Padres’ top prospect. The Astros have Yainer Diaz at catcher, and he is still relatively young (27) in terms of catchers’ age. Diaz has regressed since his rookie season a few years ago, but it doesn’t seem likely that Houston views the position as one of need.

Kruz Schoolcraft and Kash Mayfield are the Padres’ last two No.1 picks. Both are left-handed pitchers with high upside. Each pitcher is still in A-Ball and a few years from even scratching the surface of major league service time. They provide value, but there is risk. They will also not give instant returns, and that is something that Houston surely wants. If they were to move Alvarez, it would need to be for young players who are very close to playing in the majors.

The Padres have some major-league-ready talent, but relievers like Bradgley Rodriguez are hardly enough to get a deal done. San Diego is not blessed with a lot of viable prospects at the upper levels of their minor league system. Not enough talent for the likes of Yordan Alvarez.

The verdict

There are a lot of roadblocks to this potential deal.

Houston is already coming out in the media and balking at the idea of dealing their slugger. That doesn’t mean a deal is impossible. It does make it improbable unless the Padres blow Houston away with an offer. It would take the likes of Jackson Merrill to get a deal done, and that would be counterproductive for the Padres. Houston would command that type of return for Alvarez. He is that good.

At the end of the day, there doesn’t seem to be a glaring fit for these two teams in terms of an Alvarez trade.

The Padres would love to get a deal done, but the Astros don’t really need what the Padres have to offer. There is about a 10-15 percent chance of a deal. But that may be just enough for Preller and the Padres to swoop in and get something done. Perhaps a three-way deal? You can never count out the G.M., but the reality is this is nothing more than a pipe dream for Padres fans right now.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the 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.