It’s a *little* hard to say for sure what’s coming next for the Padres, since you NEVER know what’s coming next for the Padres. But, after acquiring Josh Hader in a big deal with the Brewers, you can safely presume the Padres will not stop there. They still have all their top chips, too.
A handful of items from throughout today that are of interest around here …
- I think it’s fair to wonder if the biggest version of the Cubs-Padres deal is now off the table, since David Robertson figures to be less of a priority. But remember, the initial rumors coming out of San Diego were about Willson Contreras, specifically, and then later about Contreras AND Ian Happ.
- To that end, The Athletic notes that the Padres have been looking to upgrade at catcher (Contreras, obviously), and would be interested in trying Happ out in center field: “If the Padres acquire Happ, they would at least try him in center field. Happ, the Cubs’ primary left fielder, has started only one game in center this season. He started 35 games there in 2021.” Seems a little specific, no? Especially since it’s not like the Padres COULDN’T accommodate Happ elsewhere. Makes me wonder if they’ve gotten a lot more serious in their thinking on Happ.
- Also from The Athletic (in San Diego), there’s this line: “[Outfield prospect Robert Hassell III], 20, has been of particular interest to the Cubs. The outfield prospect is hitting .299/.379/.467 for High-A Fort Wayne, which plays its home games a three-hour drive from Chicago. The TinCaps’ next game is Tuesday, just after the deadline, against the South Bend Cubs.” We’ve heard about the Cubs’ interest in Hassell for quite a while – he was rumored to be the prospect they were targeting last year and in the offseason in the Eric Hosmer talks. The 2020 8th overall pick has seen his stock boosted this year into top 50 status.
- Speaking of Hosmer, though, a report out of San Diego indicates that he is not expected to be traded. I think that’s probably a fair characterization even if the Padres would still LOVE to unload his salary (and even if the Cubs would love to get a prospect to take on some portion of the contract). You can’t bet on it happening, because those deals so rarely come together – especially against the backdrop of a ton of moving pieces.
- Speaking of which. This is from before the Hader deal, for what it’s worth (San Diego Union-Tribune), but it suggests the Padres are still in on a bajillion different things at once:
It continues to seem like a virtual certainty the Padres will add at least one significant player by 3 o’clock tomorrow afternoon.
“A little surprised it hasn’t happened already,” one National League executive said in a text yesterday evening.
The executive theorized the Padres are one of the logs damming the expected flood of trades that has yet to start flowing. They have prospects people want, and A.J. Preller is in on multiple players.
“Eleven or 12,” said one member of the Padres front office.
- I tend to think Juan Soto is still the hinge point there, which means if the Padres are also a hinge point for a lot of other teams, well, it’s the same old story: make a decision, Nationals …