2021 MLB Trade Deadline: Padres targets

Now that we know what the Padres should be looking for, let's start making a list of who the Padres should be targeting in trade.

Yesterday, I outlined what the San Diego Padres needs were heading into the 2021 MLB trading deadline. If you don’t feel like reading, they go like this:

• Starting pitcher

• Outfielder

• Catcher

• Relief pitcher

Now, this is my own personal opinion and not an official list from the team. I think the Padres need a catcher because I do not believe that they can count on Austin Nola being healthy as a catcher (I do think he would make a very fine bat off the bench and utility infielder). The front office may disagree with me, and that’s fine, but I can only write from my own perspective here.

Today, we’re going to look at some guys that the Padres could (or should) be targeting on the trade market. I talked through some of my own ideas and stole some from my podcast co-host Craig Elsten on today’s episode of Padres Hot Tub, so feel free to go listen (and subscribe!) to that if you’d rather.

Starting pitcher

A lot of this list depends on which teams you feel might be sellers and which ones won’t. For instance…

Alex Cobb, RHP - Angels
Cobb is an above-average pitcher on a mediocre Angels team. This is his first year with the Angels and it looks like he’s recaptured some of his early-career Tampa Bay Rays magic after wasting away in Baltimore for a while. He’s a free agent after this season.

The Angels are in 4th place, 9 games back in the AL West, and are 7th in the AL Wild Card standings. I think they’re sellers.

Drew Smyly, LHP - Braves
Like Cobb, Smyly is a free agent after this season. He’s a veteran starter that has a lot of good in his track record. He’s 7-3 for the Braves this year, but his FIP is a little scary (over 5), which is the opposite of Cobb.

The Braves probably should be better than they are, but they’re definitely going to get worse after losing Ronald Acuña Jr. for the season with a knee injury. I think they’re sneaky sellers, especially with any players heading into free agency.

Kenta Maeda, RHP - Twins
After spending years being very good for the Dodgers, Maeda was traded with the Twins before last season and finished 2nd in AL Cy Young voting. He was dominant. This year, not so much.

Maeda would benefit from getting back to the NL West, and he’s signed through 2023 on an incredibly affordable deal. More importantly, Maeda has come out of the bullpen in 21 of his 25 playoff appearances and has been dominant as a postseason reliever. He would help the Padres get to the playoffs and then be a valuable asset after that, as well.

Outfielder

Joc Pederson - Cubs
Joc hasn’t been a real good hitter since 2019, but he’s not bad. He’s just kind of average, which is honestly what the Padres should be looking for in a 4th outfielder to replace Jorge Mateo on the roster.

Pederson offers plus-defense at all three outfield positions and is a well-known tough out. Also, like Maeda, he might enjoy sticking it to the Dodgers.

The Cubs have publicly said that they’re going to be sellers (due to a disastrous run of late), and there’s no reason for them to keep Joc. He has a mutual option (meaning both he and the team have to opt-in for it) that makes him a lot more expensive next year. The Cubs can either lose him to free agency (and have to pay a $2.5M buyout) or they can get something, anything, back for him.

Ender Inciarte - Braves
With three gold gloves and an all-star appearance, Inciarte would be a fine 4th outfielder to provide rest for Grisham, Myers, and Pham. He’s been a weak hitter for three years now, and he’s potentially a free agent after this season (there’s an option for next year but it’s unclear if it’s his option or a team option).

If the Braves are sellers, there’s almost no reason for them to hold on to him. If the Padres are interested, there’s little reason to think it would cost them a lot.

Catcher

Max Stassi - Angels
Stassi is a very good catcher, a very good hitter, and hits free agency after the 2022 season. He wouldn’t exactly be cheap, but if the Padres decide that Austin Nola can’t take the pounding of the catching spot, they’ll need another option back there to split time with Caratini until Luis Campusano is ready for the majors.

Wilson Contreras - Cubs
This one is probably a little too pricey for the Padres, but Preller is known for taking big swings at times. Contreras is one of the better catchers in the game, and has another year before hitting free agency (like Stassi). If the Padres are really going for it and have something that the Cubs like, this is a good fit.

Eric Haase - Tigers
This is one of those sneaky Preller moves that’s based on small samples and recent performance. Haase has been hitting bombs for Detroit this year and has good numbers, for the first time in his career. Most people would probably expect a regression but Preller could see a bright future for the 28-year old with years of team control.

Relief pitcher

There are a ton of relief pitchers in baseball and, in any given year, some of them are performing really well on bad teams. There will be plenty of arms available if the Padres are looking to just bolster the middle innings.

However, if the Padres are looking to add another closer-level arm that they can pitch in the 8th or 9th inning, there are several options for guys they could go after.

Craig Kimbrel - Cubs
The former Padres closer is going to be a hot commodity for the Cubs, so they’ll likely ask for a lot in return as a part of the bidding war, but he would undoubtedly make San Diego’s path to the World Series clearer.

Will Smith - Braves
This one doesn’t feel likely. Smith is good, and not too old, and is signed for a few more years. The Braves might be retooling for next year but probably won’t want to find a new closer.

Brad Hand - Nationals
There is a world where the Nationals decide to sell, although it’s not very likely. If they do, they could get a lot for Max Scherzer and probably something good for Hand as well (both are free agents this offseason), who isn’t striking out as many guys as he used to but is still getting a lot of guys out.

One last (stolen) idea

I don’t think the Padres do anything too splashy before the trade deadline, as they’re set at every position on the field already and the pitching situation needs some help but already has the top-tier guys. I think they look to build some depth at the MLB level, which is really the one thing that they have been missing this season.

This isn’t sexy at all, and as a matter of fact might not really cost much of anything, but Craig Elsten had an idea on the podcast that made a lot of sense.

Steven Vogt, C
Joakim Soria, RHP
Josh Reddick, OF

All three of the players above are solid veterans that are past their prime. Vogt and Soria are former all-stars, Reddick is a gold glove winner that has received MVP votes before. They fill the identified needs of the Padres, although the team should probably go shopping somewhere outside of Arizona for a starting pitcher, and they’re all free agents after this season.

There’s no reason for the Diamondbacks to not trade them all away, and there’s little reason for the Padres to not trade for them (unless they can find better options). Maybe most importantly, all of them would seemingly accept the backup roles that the Padres need to fill without making a fuss.