Padres Trade: Quentin, Maybin, and Wisler for Kimbrel and Melvin Upton

Huh, wasn’t expecting this.

FOX Sports‘ Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves have completed a trade that would send outfielders Cameron Maybin and Carlos Quentin, along with top pitching prospect Matt Wisler (and a draft pick) to the Atlanta Braves for closer Craig Kimbrel and outfielder Melvin Upton (formerly known as BJ Upton).

Wow, it sure is nice to get a player like Kimbrel in return for two players that likely had no role on the 2015 Padres anyways. Kimbrel, in my opinion, is a top-tier closer. In his five seasons with Atlanta he has a career 1.43 ERA and 186 saves.

Melvin Upton, I’m not as crazy about. He has not lived up to expectations in Atlanta, but perhaps a change of scenery can turn him back into the player he was in Tampa Bay. I can’t think that Melvin was someone that Preller really had his heart set on, but perhaps he took him on since the Braves were taking two of our unwanted guys too.

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The Padres have made it known that they want to extend Justin Upton here in San Diego, perhaps acquiring his brother through the 2017 season is a good way to do that.

What I don’t like about the trade is having to give up our top pitching prospect, Matt Wisler. Sure, there was probably no way that the Braves were going to part with Kimbrel and NOT get a top pitching prospect in return, but Preller managed to hang onto Wisler through all his earlier trades this off-season, so what’s changed? Either he saw something about Wisler he didn’t like or he’s just REALLY into Kimbrel.

We shall see.

Preller strikes again!  This guy is amazing, though I would have preferred we acquire a backup catcher today.

What do you think? Do you think the Padres won this trade or did we get hosed?

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