With six-plus weeks until the trade deadline, the San Diego Padres are 33-36 and in the midst of a five-game losing streak. The Padres are also, apparently, open for talking deals -- and not just involving their spare parts. According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, general manager A.J. Preller is open to trading just about any of his hitters, save Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Eric Hosmer. That includes Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes, with Renfroe being likelier to go:
Virtually every position player besides Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Fernando Tatis Jr. can be had.
Per Acee, the Padres would like to upgrade offensively behind the plate and in center field -- and/or perhaps acquire more young pitching. San Diego hasn't received the production it desires from backstops Austin Hedges and prized youngster Francisco Mejia, while Manuel Margot has disappointed to the extent that Wil Myers has received most of the center-field starts over the past fortnight.
Still, the Padres' willingness to trade Renfroe and Reyes is noteworthy, if not altogether surprising.
Although the two rank among San Diego's top three hitters (behind Tatis), they do have their issues. Both are power-reliant hitters with sub-.300 on-base percentages who have average-at-best gloves. The Padres have a number of other corner-outfield options, ranging from Myers to Josh Naylor to the rehabbing Franchy Cordero, thus giving them the flexibility of perhaps moving one or the other in the right deal -- consider it a reallocation of resources.
The catch is that finding a deal won't be easy. The limitations of Renfroe and Reyes come at a time when the league doesn't seem overly fond of bat-only types. To be clear: both have value, but teams have shown a reluctance to pay up for similar players in recent years. At minimum, any team equipped with the necessary depth would probably desire more in return for an up-the-middle player whose offensive output is likely to be pleasant in the near term.
Whatever happens in the next month-plus, San Diego has been one of the most interesting teams in baseball since the end of last season. It doesn't appear that will change anytime soon.
