Sunday Brunch: If Padres Trade A Starter it Has To Be Kennedy

We all have seen the reports all week and really all off-season, on how the Padres could be trading any of Ian Kennedy, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross in order to upgrade what was one of the worst offenses in MLB history last season. To me, if they trade anyone, it has to be Ian Kennedy. 

More from Padres News

• Jurickson Profar free agency update likely rules out Padres reunion
• Fernando Tatis Jr. may not take to outfield move after Xander Bogaerts addition
• Padres News: Fernando Tatis Jr. trade rumors, Seth Lugo chase, Manny Machado
• Padres barely missed out on high-end veteran starting pitcher
• This veteran DH target seems ideal for contending Padres roster

Why?

First of, he’s a free agent after 2015. You can try to lock him up long term, but Kennedy is a Scott Boras client. Boras always takes his guys to the open market. He then tries to get them a crazy huge deal (ask Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales how that worked out last off-season). Also, if Kennedy has a huge year next season, he’s probably going to end up pricing himself out of the Padres price range.

Cashner and Ross are just scratching the surface out of what kind of pitchers they can be. Both are younger than Kennedy. Both are cheaper than Kennedy and can be controlled for a longer period of time.

Now I don’t know what kind of bat they can get for Kennedy. Can they trade him to Boston for one of the outfielders to help break up that glut? Maybe. Could Preller try to deal him to his old team the Texas Rangers? Maybe.

The Padres have a ton of depth and may get deeper if they bring back Josh Johnson and sign Kwang Hyun Kim after winning the bid on him.

It’s time to trade Kennedy for a bat.