Padres, Cubs exploring trade for Contreras and Happ
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The San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs are rumored to be talking trade.
This season, the San Diego Padres are poised to make the playoffs.
With depth in the starting staff, there is hope that the Padres can survive late into the postseason.
The main issue for the Friars is that the Padres can not score runs consistently. Fernando Tatis Jr. will be back in the lineup soon, but it remains to be seen if he alone can turn around this anemic offense. They will likely need help.
A.J. Preller is not shy about trades, and the MLB Trade Deadline is approaching. The Padres will surely pull off a few trades. Rumors are already swirling about the Padres and their aggressiveness when it comes to acquiring players. They are linked to virtually everyone who could be made available in the coming weeks.
Willson Contreras and Ian Happ seem to be of interest to the Padres as the team looks to upgrade at the catcher’s position for the 2022 season. Happ would gain time in the outfield and is also capable of playing some infield if needed by San Diego. Both are upgrades as far as the Padres are concerned.
Padres Have Reportedly Discussed Acquiring BOTH Willson Contreras and Ian Happ from the Cubshttps://t.co/cZ3alWYUYR pic.twitter.com/NcsEW5eeKS
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 23, 2022
The Padres are lacking punch from the middle of the lineup. Happ and Contreras would upgrade the team in two areas, but you get a sense that the team needs more. Juan Soto is supposedly a possibility, but San Diego seems hesitant to put all their prospect eggs into one basket. The Padres may be wiser to make a couple of trades in an attempt to get more offense from the lineup as a group.
Bryan Reynolds of the Pirates and Josh Bell of the Nationals both make sense, but Pittsburgh is hesitant to deal their outfielder as he is under contract inexpensively for the next few seasons (Reynolds is also currently hurt). Bell is a free agent at the end of the year, but the Padres already have Eric Hosmer and Luke Voit at first base. Neither is producing well but would need to be moved off the roster to make room for Josh Bell. Acquiring Bell would take some creative thinking.
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Willson Contreras of the Cubs is regarded as an offensive weapon behind the plate. There are some defensive concerns, but he is not considered a terrible defender. Contreras is in the last year of his contract and will surely look for a multi-year deal this winter. The right-handed hitter is an All-Star, but there are rumors the Padres would deal Jorge Alfaro in a deal for Contreras. That really doesn’t make sense at all and could just be speculation from Chicago.
Happ is a switch-hitter with defensive flexibility. He can play five or six positions on the diamond and is blessed with an above-average bat. Happ is 27 and has 1 1/2 years of service time on his contract. The Padres could use him off the bench or spot-start him in the outfield when needed.
Stay tuned as the Padres are exploring all options. Even those that do not include Juan Soto.
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.
Makes sense, at the right price. Happ would instantly be the best hitter in the OF, unless they move Tatis. Contreras is a nice bat and could slide over to 1b if…
Pass!! Happ is not much of an upgrade and would cost an upper tier prospect.