NEWSLETTER
Overnight, the Padres and Rays got together on a significant trade that isn’t finalized yet, but will be after medical reviews are conducted.
The deal has outfielder Tommy Pham headed to the Padres, together with infield prospect Jake Cronenworth (who also pitches a little bit), in exchange for outfielder Hunter Renfroe and infield prospect Xavier Edwards (top 10/15 in the loaded Padres farm system, first rounder in 2018).
Here’s @dennistlin with an explanation of the pending #Rays–#Padres deal in which Tommy Pham would head to SD: https://t.co/5zb5e134u4
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 6, 2019
Pham will play next season at age 32 – he was a very late arrival at the big league level – and hit .273/.369/.450 (121 wRC+) for the Rays last year. Projections like him to be pretty much that same guy in 2020, which is a very solid addition to a Padres club hoping to compete at the top of the NL West this year. Clearly, they are pushing it all in right now after this move, the big trade with the Brewers, the pricey Drew Pomeranz signing, and obviously the Manny Machado/Eric Hosmer signings the last couple years.
Positionally, it’s a mildly odd deal for the Padres – what else is new? – because they’re bringing in another outfielder while sending one out, which does very little to unjam their significantly jammed up outfield. But then, they apparently just really wanted a righty who could hit righties, and also wanted Pham’s energetic presence. They also get a middle infielder in Cronenworth to add to the mix, but, like Jurickson Profar before him, he’s still not an obvious solution to their hole at second base.
For the Rays, it’s pretty standard Rays operations. They deal a more expensive guy who is a couple years away from free agency for a cheaper guy in Renfroe, whom they’ll try to patch up a bit after a 31.2% K rate/.289 OBP season. Tremendous power and good defense, at least. And the main return is the quality prospect in Edwards.
On the balance, I’m not sure this move does much of anything in terms of moving the broader market, or even changing things as it might relate to a theoretical trade partner like the Cubs (for example, I could still see each club being interested in Willson Contreras). It’s just kind of an interesting, odd trade between two teams that do that sort of thing.
Of course, all anyone will ever remember from this trade years down the road … is this:
Blake Snell hearing about the trade while streaming live haha its a whole new world pic.twitter.com/5azmNuIshp
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) December 6, 2019
Slapdick Edwards. That’s the name now.
