The San Diego Padres can’t stop. They won’t stop. Something something Miley.
According to Jeff Passan, the Padres are near a deal with the Red Sox to swap catcher Ryan Hanigan – whom they just picked up from the Rays – and third baseman Will Middlebrooks, who didn’t have a spot with the Red Sox. It’s probably a good deal for both teams, given that Hanigan is a perfectly good back-up catcher, and Middlebrooks has big upside that he looks unlikely to ever reach.
The implications for the Cubs here could be significant, relatively speaking. Recall, the two other teams reportedly in on back-up catcher David Ross were the Padres and Red Sox. With Hanigan going to Boston, that could mean the Red Sox know they’re out on Ross. But Hanigan leaving San Diego could mean the Padres are not out on Ross.
If the Cubs do land Ross, then we could be in for a new round of Welington Castillo-related rumors, as the likelihood that the Cubs carry three catchers on the big league roster is very low.