Should the Padres go after Trevor Bauer or Noah Syndergaard?
Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Padres made a little noise during the first half of 2019, but the front office remains focused on 2020 as the year their contention window opens.
The Padres have their key pitching prospects, like Mackenzie Gore and Luis Patińo, still waiting in the wings. Gore is expected to make his debut next season, and seeing his name on the Opening Day roster is a possibility. Patińo could be up sometime later in 2020.
While the Friars have talented pitchers waiting in the wings, the team is still connected to available frontline starters in trade rumors. The most recent rumor is from Jon Morosi, who said that the Padres have interest in Trevor Bauer. Morosi reported earlier this month that San Diego still has interest in New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard.
The Padres could enter August with one of these two pitchers on their 40-man roster, or the MLB July 31 Trade Deadline could pass with the team acquiring neither. But which one would be the better acquisition for San Diego’s contention plans in the future? Which trade would be more hurtful than helpful? East Village Times takes a look at the pros and cons of both Bauer and Syndergaard.
The Cleveland Indians have put themselves in the postseason conversation, and Bauer is a part of the reason how they got there. The Indians are victorious in four of his last five starts. He struck out 48 over that span.
It would seem silly to trade their best pitcher when the Indians are thinking about playoffs. However, if they are thinking beyond 2019, dealing Bauer makes more sense. Morosi said that Cleveland would owe $45 million to Bauer, Cory Kluber, and Carlos Carrasco, more than one-third of their 2019 payroll ($120 million). Bauer is also a free agent after 2020, and it doesn’t seem likely he would stay in Cleveland.
According to Morosi, Cleveland will demand major league ready players in a Bauer trade, and not prospects. Dealing prospects seems like the most likely strategy from the Padres’ end in a trade, but they have players either already at the MLB level or ready to step in when given a chance.
One player who is still a prospect but appears ready for the Show is second baseman, Luis Urias. He had a short stint in San Diego in 2018 before a hamstring injury ended his season. He has played in a handful of games with the Padres in 2019, as well. He has spent most of this season, however, in Triple-A El Paso.
Urias has done about all he can do in the minors, while Ian Kinsler and Greg Garcia have split time at second base with the Padres. Urias is hitting .315/.398/.600 with the Chihuahuas this season, with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs. He has cooled off a bit since June but is still on pace for 30-plus dingers. With Jason Kipnis looking at free agency after 2019, the Indians will need to fill second base going forward.
Two other players who have been mentioned as tradeable are Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes. The Padres still have a crowded outfield. Moving Wil Myers and his contract will be difficult, and the outfield situation will only get more complicated once Travis Jankowski returns from his wrist injury. Throw in Manuel Margot, and Franchy Cordero (if he can stay off the Injured List) and the Padres have six outfielders. At least one will need to be moved.
Of these six, Renfroe and Reyes hold the most value. Renfroe is having his best season, already setting career highs in home runs (27) and wRC+ (128). He has 49 RBIs so far in 2019, 19 short of his career-best (68). His offense is complemented by his vast improvement in the outfield, making him one of the best players on the Padres roster.
Reyes (24) is younger than Renfroe (27) and has one less home run, and has a significant presence in the lineup. However, Reyes is a liability on defense. It’s been said before that “La Molé” might be suited better for the American League, where he can be used as a designated hitter. If it comes down to those two, the Padres might be more reluctant to trading Renfroe.
A package of Urias and Reyes with one or two lower-level prospects might get a deal done. Bauer would be in the rotation when the team is ready to contend in 2020, but it isn’t a guarantee he would be with the team beyond that. The Padres also have to consider his unwillingness to sign any multi-year deals. Bauer also has a bit of a history when it comes to social media.
On the flip side, Bauer has a friendship with Padres’ third baseman Manny Machado, so he wouldn’t be a stranger in the clubhouse. While Bauer has come off as an edgelord on twitter in the past, he hasn’t had issues with any of his teammates in Cleveland, so there shouldn’t be any concern he would disrupt a San Diego clubhouse full of young players.
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Mike is the sports editor for the Fayette Advertiser, and has been with East Village Times since 2015. His work has appeared on Bleacher Report. He is an avid Padres fan who is keeping the faith and trusting the process.
Neither, both have issues. Why not try for the Red’s Castillo?
They had Castillo but AJs medical deal killed that and had to send him back. Injury to insult the player the Reds sent to Mia for Castillo was Dan Straily after they picked him up off waiver from… the Padres. It’s would take Gore, Patino, Campusano and Abrams which should tell you he isn’t realistically available.
The moves we should be focusing on this deadline should be clearing up the 40-man roster and DUMPING MYERS. Our excess pitching has not reached full value yet, Lucchasi, Lauer, Erlin, and Logan Allen could fetch Matt Boyd level interest if we continue to give them innings between now and next July. It will also give us time to see what a Margot/Jasnkowski platoon, Urias at 2B, Mejia/Hedges at C will be serviceable or maybe even better than that. So consolidate a few mid-level prospects into players that fit our needs and give us options going forward for 2020.
Gerrit Cole should be the TOR pitcher we take a strong interest in this off-season. He ONLY cost money.
I agree with your outlook on what the Padres should do SDDon. Do not mortgage the future in order to win now!! Freeing up money should be a priority so that the Padres can sign Cole. If the Padres are looking to acquire a TOR starter via trade; they should set their sights on Castillo, Jon Gray, Sonny Gray, and Caleb Smith.
I’m with ya on the 40 man consolidation and would be the only reason to move anyone right now. Matt Boyd has had one really good year and hasn’t exactly been lighting it up lately. At best he’s a middle of a rotation arm w control with no track record and Det want a Sale/ Quintana type package. That’s a hard pass.
Bauer is quirky but he is very much a student of pitching, biomechanics and making adjustments. If they are targeting him Balsley must like what he’s doing and the impact he could also have on the rest of the staff. He’s the Manny Machado of pitchers so maybe he’s just misunderstood. As for his social media presence, nothing was said when Manny went on his rant about Plesac and Byrnes. For the right price I’d be down. Include Ty France and Esteury Ruiz to ease the money that would have to come with Wil. Send Joey Lucchesi and a Hansel Rodriguez or Jean Cosme type for Bauer. Boom done.
Padres should stand pat, and do nothing in the trade front until this Winter. The exception would be if they were overwhelmed by another team for Yates, could unload Myers, and/or a minor deal for Stammen since he’s a free agent after this year. It doesn’t look like they will contend for a wild card, so there’s no reason to have to make a trade.
Both would be worth adding, but it’s unlikely to happen. No on Bauer. Cleveland can’t trade him during a division title race. He can’t be signed to a extension so it’s 1.5 and done. Plus, any team that takes him on will be gambling on his head case reputation.
Syndergaard is more like it, but the Mets have a rep of being difficult and unrealistic when it comes to trades. You can’t restock another teams’ farm system for short term control of one injury-prone player. The Mets are like angry children. They can’t succeed on their own, so when they are forced to sell, they get insistent on “winning” any trade, not just receiving fair value. GM hell would be having to make all your big trades with the Mets or the Astros.
Doesn’t a healthy Garrett Richards plus Paddack, Gore, Lamet and Lucchesi make for a pretty robust rotation in ’20? Then you’d also have Quantrill, Lauer, Allen, Morejon as depth/ long guys not to mention Margevicius and Baez too all with MLB experience under their belts come next year. The price for Thor, Bauer and Stroman just seems too high. The Pads have depth upon depth. Just go with the horses they have…
Rob – Great thought process ! We already have top of the rotation guys, they just need their innings. Syndergaard – too fragile, Bauer – too flaky, Stroman – too weak. I though Garrett Richards was our big rotation guy. Isn’t that why we gave him $20 mil, so he could sit on the sideline this year ? We have the pitching and we need to hoard it.
Urias and Reyes for one year of Bauer? I think I would pass on that price.
It’s so ridiculous that Urias keeps popping up in trade rumors by all these reporters “because he’s blocked on the left side by Tatis”. Laughable that these reporters don’t do their homework and realize that he’s a Second Baseman who can be a back up to SS. Do your homework reporters!