Quote from BoosterSD on June 30, 2022, 6:59 am

So in the MLBTR blog, they also mention that another way to add payroll room for upgrades to the OF, would be to trade Kim. Obviously, you would want to wait closer to the deadline before pursuing a deal with Kim, to make sure that Tatis is ready to come back, and that Machado is full strength as well.

And while I understand/appreciate the value he brings with the glove and the ability to play 3B, SS, and 2B his bat is still under what SD probably expected when signing him from KBL, and he is $7M per season towards the CBT. He is still only batting .228 this season, and an OPS barely over .650, and soon to be regulated to bench again. And while Abrams is still not at his ML potential, he can IMO shortly offer that same production at league minimum, all the while providing the same INF defensive versatility and also the potential ability to play OF that Kim doesnt offer. Not to mention that Abrams has better speed, for pinch running ability as well. So, wouldnt it be prudent to ship Kim somewhere they need a defensive anchor at SS, and SD saves the prorated amount of roughly $6.5M this season and the difference for the last two seasons of his contract?

 

Quote from fenn68 on June 30, 2022, 9:19 am

Quote from BoosterSD on June 30, 2022, 6:59 am

So in the MLBTR blog, they also mention that another way to add payroll room for upgrades to the OF, would be to trade Kim. Obviously, you would want to wait closer to the deadline before pursuing a deal with Kim, to make sure that Tatis is ready to come back, and that Machado is full strength as well.

And while I understand/appreciate the value he brings with the glove and the ability to play 3B, SS, and 2B his bat is still under what SD probably expected when signing him from KBL, and he is $7M per season towards the CBT. He is still only batting .228 this season, and an OPS barely over .650, and soon to be regulated to bench again. And while Abrams is still not at his ML potential, he can IMO shortly offer that same production at league minimum, all the while providing the same INF defensive versatility and also the potential ability to play OF that Kim doesnt offer. Not to mention that Abrams has better speed, for pinch running ability as well. So, wouldnt it be prudent to ship Kim somewhere they need a defensive anchor at SS, and SD saves the prorated amount of roughly $6.5M this season and the difference for the last two seasons of his contract?

 

That does make sense once Tatis is back (hopefully BEFORE the trade deadline) and showing he can perform every day. Abrams looks to be getting enough looks between now and then for the Padres to gauge whether he is ready to take Kim's role.

Also, maybe an insurance piece for the INF bench is in AAA ... Matt Batten ... not really a prospect but very serviceable over the INF and a OK bat ... better than Alcantara I would guess.

Padres would probably have to believe that Machado-Tatis-Cronenworth can play the bulk of the rest of the season healthy and think Abrams would be as good as Kim in that period to move Kim.

Given Kim's contract (that need to go fully to the new club) and his performance ... Padres would probably have to include a mid-range prospect and not expect anything but a low level prospect in return. For the Padres it would be all about clear Cap space for 2022 and future years.

Quote from fenn68 on June 30, 2022, 9:29 am

For perspective, there could be a robust market for Kim since a LOT of teams have much less production out of SS. Consider:

Kim: 94 wRC+; +7.7 dWAR; 1.5 WAR per Fangraphs.

Contenders for the playoffs worse at SS (Padres deal for a prospect):

PHIL: 71 ... 2.7 ... 0.5

TB: 79 ... 0.4 ... 0.5

LAA: 45 ... 6.0 ... -0.7

Non-contenders with players the Padres may want in a deal:

WASH: 74 ... -7.7 ... -0.7 (Bell)

PITT: 69 ... 0.0 ... -0.4 (Reynolds)

BALT: 55 ... 6.9 ... 0.2 (Lopez, Mullins, Hays)

Bottom line is that Kim may look like a major upgrade both offensively and defensively for these teams ... and really some others. IT COULD BE DONE!

Quote from BoosterSD on June 30, 2022, 10:27 am

Quote from fenn68 on June 30, 2022, 9:29 am

Non-contenders with players the Padres may want in a deal:

WASH: 74 ... -7.7 ... -0.7 (Bell)

PITT: 69 ... 0.0 ... -0.4 (Reynolds)

BALT: 55 ... 6.9 ... 0.2 (Lopez, Mullins, Hays)

If your goal was Bell, he is at $10M for a CBT # this season. While Kim is at $7M, a difference of $3M. So SD would also have to find someone else to include that is at the $3M CBT # or more, plus then include the prospects to get Bell. So who is at a $3M nut that SD could afford to lose in a playoff push and make WAS interested?

If your goal is Reynolds, he and Kim are basically the same number. SD would actually save $250K in that acquisition. So it is only the prospects at that time to make the deal work.

If the goal is a BAL player, then it gets even better, since all of them are basically around league minimum to $1.5M for Lopez. I would think the prospect cost for these players would be the most though.

Quote from Henry Silvestre on June 30, 2022, 10:33 am

Just got to make sure we have a backup 3B ..not sure CJ can... SS would be in good hands with Tatis/Crone/CJ.. as would 2B...Batten is sort of a Jack of all trades type can even play in the OF..negative is he is not on the 40..

Kim (marketing) value in SD is high so got to take that into consideration and CJ can continue developing in AAA but if CJ continues to Rake as he has last few games from now until trade deadline that can be a moot point...

Wonder if Kim for Addell is a deal to be had ..more with an eye towards 23 from Padres perspective... Kim close to a 3 WAR season so he has more value than we think

Quote from Henry Silvestre on June 30, 2022, 10:44 am

Remember Pads can also ask teams to eat most if not all of a player coming back aka Bell (like NYY did with Rizzo-Cubs trade).. thus creating >payroll flex... Bell Hos/Voit dynamic would be interesting... Bell 75% 1B.. 15% DH..10% rest day... Hos 25% 1B 20% DH...Voit 65% DH.. Hos would be most affected ..but maybe most benefited from not having the weight on his shoulders down the stretch.. seems to me the higher in the order he goes the lower his production.. so maybe a blessing (hot streak type benefit in postseason) in disguise... ideally Hos would move somewhere else (trade) but not sure dumping $48 mil /3 1/2 yrs .. is an easy task perhaps in the offseason..or to a team needy of a 1B like Boston

Quote from BoosterSD on June 30, 2022, 10:46 am

Quote from Henry Silvestre on June 30, 2022, 10:33 am

Just got to make sure we have a backup 3B ..not sure CJ can... SS would be in good hands with Tatis/Crone/CJ.. as would 2B...Batten is sort of a Jack of all trades type can even play in the OF..negative is he is not on the 40..

Kim (marketing) value in SD is high so got to take that into consideration and CJ can continue developing in AAA but if CJ continues to Rake as he has last few games from now until trade deadline that can be a moot point...

Wonder if Kim for Addell is a deal to be had ..more with an eye towards 23 from Padres perspective... Kim close to a 3 WAR season so he has more value than we think

I would think that in the case of injury to Machado again, Crone could easily handle 3B, Tatis at SS, and Abrams to 2B would work while waiting for Machado to heal. Plus you have Alcantara who can handle 3B defensively. Or could always look at calling up Batten, Rosario, or maybe even Cano.

As for Addell, not sure if I am sold on him. He has bounced back and forth from AAA to ML with limited success in the MLs. Is he a 4A player?? Is he any better that what we might get from Ruiz?

Maybe he is a good gamble for Kim who is basically running out of playing time shortly in SD.

Quote from BoosterSD on June 30, 2022, 10:48 am

Quote from Henry Silvestre on June 30, 2022, 10:44 am

so maybe a blessing (hot streak type benefit in postseason) in disguise... ideally Hos would move somewhere else (trade) but not sure dumping $48 mil /3 1/2 yrs .. is an easy task perhaps in the offseason..or to a team needy of a 1B like Boston

I would think that if they were able to get Bell, and reduce the playing time of Hosmer, it would help entice Hosmer to opt out after the season. Leaving that money to put towards resigning Bell and Musgrove.

Quote from Jeremy Hill on June 30, 2022, 11:25 am

It might be wishful thinking, but I still haven't given up on the idea of trading Hosmer. On the open market I could see him getting somewhere around 8m in the Aguilar/Santana range. With the remainder of this year's salary factored in, a team that traded for him would be on the hook for somewhere around a 14m AAV going forward.

I could see a team like the Cubs or Tigers being willing to take that on to pickup Campusano. Hosmer could be a mentor to their young players and they both are set to lose their catchers. Maybe something like Hosmer, Campusano and a lower ranked prospect for a rental reliever like Robertson, Fulmer, or Chafin could work.

Hosmer's AAV for the Padres is 18m, so a move would free up significant space for deadline moves. They could offset the Hosmer move with a move for someone like Bell, Cruz or Mancini and still have the ability to make other moves. Perhaps more importantly it would also give them a lot more money to work with in the off-season.