Under general manager A.J. Preller's guidance, the San Diego Padres have shown a willingness to make bold moves. That figures to apply to their upcoming winter, too. It's not all that surprising, then, that the Padres have popped up in relation with some of the market's top players. The Padres are even reportedly interested in making runs at players who aren't expected to be traded before next season, like Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
Here's what the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee reported on the matter:
According to a person familiar with the Padres' offseason interests, among the players the team covets is Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez, a 27-year-old who is under team control through 2025 and is coming off his first All-Star appearance. A .271/.367/.493 hitting line and 60 home runs over the past two seasons combined with the contract that pays Suarez $61.46 million over the next six seasons and carries a $15 million option for '25 would require the Padres to give up a hefty bounty in trade.
As Acee established, Suarez would likely cost a good deal in trade. The Reds are known to be interested in adding pitching, and the Padres do have a number of quality pitching prospects to ship out if they so wish. But it's not that simple.
The Reds themselves have ample reason to hold onto Suarez with an eye on pushing closer to contention in 2019 and beyond. It stands to reason that the Padres could be outbid by a contender if the Reds make Suarez available. Besides, the Padres have a weird situation at hand, with Wil Myers closing the season as their third baseman. Acee noted the possibility that Myers could return to the outfield -- or, perhaps, find himself traded elsewhere.
That isn't to rule out the Padres from doing something wild. It's just an acknowledgement that making trades -- making trades for All-Star players -- is easier said than done and that, In all likelihood, the Padres won't open next season with Suarez as their third baseman.
Whatever happens, the Padres seem destined to go big-name hunting over the next few weeks. We'll have to see who -- if anyone -- they're able to land.
