San Diego Padres Trade Rumors: Tracking Hot Updates, News and Reaction
The San Diego Padres have found out that making a bunch of high-profile moves in the offseason doesn't guarantee success, so now that they are 41-49 with the July 31 trade deadline approaching, they have to decide how to proceed.
There is no doubt that the roster contains plenty of talent. However, the club has yet to see its win total match that talent level.
San Diego faces an uphill battle just to get back to .500. The playoffs are still a possibility, but they are more than five games back in the wild-card race and have a handful of teams ahead of them. A strong start to the second half could influence the front office to not give up on the season, but a slow start could push the team to sell.
Keep coming back throughout July to see what rumors the Padres are involved in and what deals they make before the trade deadline passes.
Done Deals
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July 31:ย Acquiredย LHPย Marc Rzepczynski from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for OFย Abraham Almonte
Justin Upton Appears to Be Staying in San Diego
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Update: Friday, July 31 at 3:15 p.m. ET
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported that the Padres have nothing going on with Upton right now, meaning that the outfielder is likely to stay in San Diego.
Update: Saturday, July 25 at 2:45 p.m. ET
The Padres and the Baltimore Orioles have discussed a possible Upton trade, according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. Per Stark, the trade could also include a San Diego starting pitcher as well.
Update: Saturday, July 25 at 2:45 p.m. ET
The Mets and the Padres have discussed a possible trade involving Upton, but New York has balked at the asking price, according toย CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
Per Heyman, San Diego is asking for one or two top prospects and is currently unwilling to add in money to help pay for the remainder of the outfielder's contract.
Update: Monday, July 20 at 10:10 a.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Piratesย are interested in Upton, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi.
Update: Sunday, July 19 at 5 p.m. ET
The Baltimore Orioles (link) and the Houston Astros (link) are interested in Upton, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi.
--End of Update--
Petco Park may affect some hitters, but Justin Upton is still putting up his usual numbers.
Upton is slashing .253/.331/.422 through 87 games, and he has 14 home runs, 10 doubles and 48 RBI this season. Those numbers have helped him make his third All-Star team.
As long as he stays healthy, he has shown that he is good for 30 home runs and 90-plus RBI.
Upton was one of many players San Diego acquired this past offseason to boost the offense and help the team contend. The slugger has done his part to help the offense, but the team's record isn't where the team had envisioned when it acquired the All-Star.
Fox Sports' Jon Morosiย reported that the Padres may look to trade Upton at the deadline.
The 27-year-old is in the final year of his contract and is in line for a big deal this offseason. If the Padres don't believe that they will sign Upton after this season, they will need to consider trading him at the deadline.
Potential Trade Candidate: RHP Tyson Ross
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Update: Friday, July 31 at 9:30 a.m. ET
The Boston Red Sox are interested in Ross, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
Update: Friday, July 31 at 1:40 a.m. ET
The Padres and the Houston Astros are working on "something big," according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
Per Passan, the two teams have discussed Ross and Craig Kimbrel.
Update: Thursday, July 30 at 9:57 p.m. ET
According toย Bob Nightengale ofย USA Today Sports,ย baseball sources believe that the Padres will trade Ross before the deadline. Per Nightengale, the Cubs are "pushing hard."
Update: Thursday, July 30 at 11 a.m. ET
The Astros are still making a run at Ross, per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
Update: Monday, July 27 at 9:59 p.m. ET
The Chicago Cubs are interested in Ross, according toย Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Update: Monday, July 27 at 1:19 p.m. ET
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that Ross is a "very popular" player on the market, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Texas Rangers, the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays all interested in the right-hander.
--End of Update--
It appears that just about every Padres starting pitcher could be available for trade, which means Tyson Ross is a potential trade candidate.
Ross enjoyed a breakout year in his first full season as a major-league starter in 2014, posting a 2.81 ERA and a 1.211 WHIP in 31 starts. This year hasn't been quite as good, but he is still having a solid season. In 2015, he has posted a 3.38 ERA and a 1.393 WHIP in 117 innings.
Both his strikeouts per nine innings (9.5) and home runs per nine (0.2) are the best of his career, but his walks per nine (4.4) are up from last year.
According to Evan Drellich of theย Houston Chronicle,ย the Padres and the Houston Astros have "at least had preliminary talks" regarding Ross.
The 28-year-old Ross, who is making $5.25 million this year, is under club control through the 2017 season.
Potential Trade Candidate: RHP Craig Kimbrel
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Update: Friday, July 31 at 12:32 p.m. ET
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthalย has followed his previous tweet by saying talks between the Yankees and Padres broke down on Thursday and have not started back up again.
Update: Friday, July 31 at 12:26 p.m. ET
The Yankees are the "hottest team" on Kimbrel right now, per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Update: Friday, July 31 at 1:40 a.m. ET
The Padres continue to talk to the Yankees and the Astros about Kimbrel, according to ESPN's Jayson Stark.
Per Stark, the Yankees are believed to be willing to cover all of the remaining money on Kimbrel's deal.
Update: Friday, July 31 at 1:40 a.m. ET
The Padres and the Houston Astros are working on "something big," according toย Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
Per Passan, the two teams have discussed Kimbrel and Tyson Ross.
Update: Thursday, July 30 at 9:40 p.m. ET
Perย CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the Padres and the New York Yankees have been in talks for Kimbrel. According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Yankees appear to be the favorites for Kimbrel.
Update: Monday, July 27 at 10 a.m. ET
The Washington Nationals and the Toronto Blue Jays are among the teams interested in Kimbrel, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
--End of Update--
Craig Kimbrel was acquired to help close out games in October, but with the Padres on the outside of the playoff picture, they may look to deal their closer and try to bring in some pieces to "rebuild" a bit.
Kimbrel hasn't quite been his dominant self this season. He has a 3.24 ERA and a 1.290 WHIP in 35 games in 2015. In 33.1 innings, he has 48 strikeouts and 14 walks. Although those numbers aren't bad, they aren't typical Kimbrel numbers.
Despite playing at Petco Park, the right-hander's home runs per nine innings (0.8), hits per nine (7.8) and strikeouts per nine (13.0) are each the worst of his career. The 27-year-old still has just one blown save, so he's still very effective.
Being on a new team took some time to get used to for the closer. His monthly ERA has gone down as the season has progressedโit went down to 0.90 in June.
Morosi reported that some in baseball believe the Padres will look to trade Kimbrel at the deadline.
Kimbrel is making $9 million this season, $11 million next season and $13 million in 2017. His contract also includes a $13 million team option for the 2018 season with a $1 million buyout.
Potential Trade Target: SS Starlin Castro
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Update: Wednesday, July 29 at 12:53 p.m. ET
Cubs manager Joe Maddon recently told Castro that he will not be traded, according toย Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.ย
--End of Update--
According toย Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, the Padres and the Chicago Cubs have had conversations about Castro. Morosiย reportedย that Chicago is interested in San Diego's pitchers and outfielder Will Venable.
Chicago has plenty of talented middle infielders, which may make Castro expandable. The shortstop is hitting .233, the worst average of his career and down 60 points from last season. Not only is he not getting hits, but he's not drawing many walks (16).ย
Castro is still guaranteed $41.4 million after this season through 2019. If the Cubs and Padres get serious about a deal, money could be a big issue.
Potential Trade Candiate: RHP Shawn Kelley
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Wednesday, July 28 at 8:33 a.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates have interest in veteran reliever Shawn Kelley, according toย John Perrotto of theย Beaver County Times.
The 31-year-old has been solid in relief for the Padres this year, pitching to a 3.25 ERA (2.93 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP over 36 innings of relief, walking seven while striking out 39. Over parts of seven seasons with three teams, he's posted a 3.85 ERA (3.65 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP with ratios of 3.0 BB/9 and 10.0 K/9.
Due the balance of his $2.835 million salary, Kelley can become a free agent at season's end.
Potential Trade Candidate: RHP James Shields
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The Padres' biggest signing of the offseason could be on the move just a few months after signing a multi-year deal with the club.
San Diego's season has not gone as expected, so the team has put James Shields on the market. Yes, the same pitcher the club signed to a four-year, $75 million deal earlier this year.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that Shields is being "offered around"ย and that the Padres have begun to "push hard" to trade stars like Shields. ESPN's Jayson Stark reported that the club is still trying to trade the pitcher, but San Diego would have to eat a lot of the remaining salary.
Shields is 8-3 with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.318 WHIP in his first year with the Padres. His strikeouts per nine innings (10.2) are significantly above his career average, but his home runs per nine (1.4) and walks per nine (3.3) are also up.
Any team interested in the right-hander has to be a bit wary of his splits. He has 2.47 ERA in 10 home starts but has a 5.01 ERA in 11 road starts.
The good news for San Diego is that Shields is having the best stretch of his season. He has a 2.17 ERA in five July starts, a nice rebound from a 5.52 June ERA.
While trading Shields may help shed some salary, the Padres have to decide if it's in the best interest of the organization. If the team trades a high-profile player in the same year that it signed him, future free agents may turned off by that.
Potential Trade Candidate: RHP Andrew Cashner
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Andrew Cashner is among the Padres starting pitchers who could be available at the trade deadline.ย
According toย Evan Drellich of theย Houston Chronicle,ย the Padres and the Houston Astros have "at least had preliminary talks" regarding Cashner.
The right-hander is 3-10 with a 4.10 ERA and a 1.340 WHIP in 18 starts. While the win-loss record certainly show that he is having a rough year, his other numbers show just how much he is struggling. His walks per nine (2.8), hits per nine (9.3) and home runs per nine (1.1) are all up considerably from a season ago.
The 28-year-old Cashner is making $4.05 million this season and is under club control through the 2016 season.
Potential Trade Candidate: RHP Ian Kennedy
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If San Diego decides to sell at the deadline, pitcher Ian Kennedy could be one of the players on the move.
Kennedy is 4-9 this season with a 4.91 ERA through 16 starts. Although those overall numbers aren't pretty, the right-hander has been pitching better as of late. He posted a 2.31 ERA and a 1.143 WHIP in six June starts. In 35 innings, he struck out 33 batters while walking just nine.
The most concerning stat is the fact that he has allowed a career-high 2.1 home runs per nine innings. He has allowed 20 home runs in 84.1 innings this season, which puts him in a tie for the third-most allowed. Of the 11 pitchers who have surrendered at least 17 home runs this season, Kennedy is the only one who has not thrown at least 94 innings.
Surprisingly, Kennedy has allowed 12 of his 20 home runs at spacious Petco Park.ย
Kennedy, who is making $9.85 million this season, is in the final year of his contract. If the Padres want to add some younger pieces at the deadline, the starter could find himself in a different uniform come August.ย The Boston Globe'sย Nick Cafardo reported that Kennedy is starting to attract some interest after a strong June.
Potential Trade Candidate: OF Will Venable
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Will Venable could be a player on the move as San Diego looks to make changes, according toย Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported that the New York Mets are interested in the outfielder.
Venable has slashed .247/.314/.390 in 80 games this season and has six home runs, eight doubles and three triples. With the Padres' abundance of outfielders, Venable is expendable.
The 32-year-old is just two seasons removed from a breakout year, when he slugged 22 home runs, 22 doubles and eight triples in 2013. Last year, his numbers dropped across the boardโbut he has rebounded a bit this season.
Venable is in the final year of his contract, making $4.25 million this season.
Potential Trade Candidate: RHP Joaquin Benoit
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Any team looking for a consistent late-inning reliever could target Joaquin Benoit if the Padres make him available.
The 37-year-old Benoit is once again in the midst of a strong season, as he has a 2.39 ERA and a 0.903 WHIP in 37 outings. The right-hander has 33 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 37.2 innings this season.
Since 2010, Benoit has only had one season with an ERA above 3.00. He posted a 3.68 ERA with the Detroit Tigers in 2012. In other words, he's about as consistent as it gets.ย
According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Minnesota Twins could be a team interested in Benoit.
Interested teams have to like that Benoit, the owner of 49 saves and 164 holds in his 13-year career, can be a setup man or closer.
Benoit is making $8 million this season, and his contract includes an $8 million team option (or a $1.5 million buyout) for 2016. While paying a non-closer reliever that much may seem steep for some teams, it's a fair price to pay for a contender that needs a shutdown reliever.
All stats are viaย MLB.com.
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