Padres Rumors: Astros, Cubs, Twins & Yankees All Potential Trade Partners
It is a very stressful time for San Diego Padres fans as they wait and prepare themselves for the trades that are surely going to happen. The team has been rumored to be nearly ready to be super-active, but yet not one deal has been agreed upon. Fans are restless searching for one shred of recent news pertaining to a potential Padres trade.
The absolute latest has the Padres in talks with the Houston Astros surrounding pitching. The Astros have been rumored to be interested in Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross and Craig Kimbrel. The report from mlbdailydish.com indicates Ross and Kimbrel for Jake Marisnick, Mark Appel with some others also involved in the deal. That report was absolutely horrendous and there is no way that the Padres would accept anything close to that for both Ross and Kimbrel.
Both players are hugely valuable to the team and both are signed through the 2017 season. The Padres would not deal them for a #4 outfielder and a minor league pitcher with a career minor league ERA of 5.36. Those “other players” indicated in that report better be someone very special or this deal has no merit at all. Appel has tremendous upside, but he is a project and is not worthy of two All-Star pitchers. There could be more to this deal, if the Astros are willing to part with players like A.J. Reed, Lance McCullers, and Tony Kemp….. then a possible trade could happen.
The rumor that has been going the longest is the Chicago Cubs and Padres trading pitching for middle infield help. Starlin Castro and Javier Baez have both been rumored to be potentially moved. The Cubs have Addison Russell and are more than content with him as their starting shortstop. The value on Castro is at an all-time low, after an off-season issue once again where he was questioned about a shooting around him. He has played horrible defense this year and has fallen out of favor with the Wrigley faithful.
Javier Baez has all the ability to drive the ball, but frequently comes up empty. He also, is a work in progress defensively at shortstop. Not exactly a great recipe for this Padres team. This team has the ability to get huge as the Cubs are surely interested in James Shields, Cashner, Ross and Kimbrel. Throw Justin Upton and Will Venable into the mix and the Padres could attain a nice haul from the rich Cubs farm system. Kyle Schwarber would be a great pick-up, but the Cubs will be reluctant to part with him. This deal has legs and in all likelihood these two teams will agree to some deal. It’s just a matter of how big the deal will be.
The New York Yankees have been sniffing around the Padres team and that’s always a scary thing for Padres fans. Fans are still bitter about the whole Ruben Rivera fiasco. The Yankess are said to be interested in Joaquin Benoit and Craig Kimbrel. You can also put them on the name of potential suitors for Shields, Cashner, Ross and Kennedy. The problem is the Yankees are saying they refuse to part with their top prospects. Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Jorge Mateo and Gregory Bird are all viewed as untouchable by the team.
Plain and simple, if the team wants quality from the Padres, they need to step it up and offer a package with a top “untouchable” prospect. The Padres would be wise to hold out until the last-minute and that is exactly what the team has done. The Yankees need bullpen help really bad. They are currently letting Dellin Betances throw nearly everyday and that will not be good come playoff time. They need to limit his innings and get some decent middle relievers. Kimbrel or Benoit would be an excellent addition for the Bombers.
The last team that has been mentioned recently is the Minnesota Twins. They too have a deep pitching need that can be quenched with a Padres deal. The Twins have a very deep farm system and the Padres could easily find some quality within it. Even a current Major League player like Aaron Hicks could be attractive to the Padres. Hicks provides gold glove caliber defense but has traditionally struggled with the bat. He has looked like a different hitter this season and could blossom into a decent player. The Twins could be a landing spot for Ian Kennedy or Shawn Kelley as well.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox and New York Mets have all also been linked to the Padres in trade talks. There could very easily be a mystery team or teams that emerge when it is all said and done. Who really knows what the next few hours have in store for Padres fans. Stay Tuned!
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.