San Diego Padres: Solarte Family Tragedy Could Halt Trade

The San Diego Padres are doing everything in their power this offseason to improve their roster for 2017. But in the case of  third baseman Yangervis Solarte, there are things much greater than baseball.

The San Diego Padres have a bit of a traffic jam on their infield, as several young players are ready to burst on to the major league stage. One of these players is Ryan Schimpf, who hit 20 home runs in 89 games last season.

Due to San Diego’s depth at second base, Schimpf is poised to make a move to third. Naturally, this combined with other factors to raise rumors about current third baseman Yangervis Solarte‘s future with the club.

Many rumors about the 26-year-old surfaced, but a family tragedy took precedence, as it should.

Solarte’s wife Yulianna passed away in September after a long battle with cancer. This tragedy is one which transcends baseball, and one that the Padres organization has treated with care and respect.

Solarte’s desires are not publicly known, but under circumstances such as these, they carry much heavier weight. This may explain why there hasn’t been a whole lot of talk lately about a possible trade, despite the fact that it would seem to make a lot of sense.

If Solarte would rather stay in San Diego and take care of his three young children, the Padres will likely honor his request not to be traded.

In a similar situation, Cleveland Indians’ infielder Mike Aviles was not traded while his daughter went through Leukemia. Even though it may have made sense for the Tribe to involve Aviles in a deadline deal, they put him and his family first.

More from Friars on Base

• 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

The same could happen for Solarte, or this situation could be different. No matter what though, family comes first, as important as baseball is. Since playing ball professionally is Solarte’s career, he will continue it in the wake of the tragedy. But the organization he competes for will be cognizant of the circumstances and act accordingly, even if it makes little sense from a baseball standpoint.

For Padres fans, patience is most important. This is a type of tragedy that the majority of us are fortunate enough not to have ever experienced. So we ought to be sensitive to the process of recovery, and the impact it may have on the Padres in 2017.

Next: Who Starts at Second Base to Open 2017?

If the Padres enter 2017 with two third basemen, so be it. It may not be the smartest move as far as developing Schimpf and the young San Diego infield is concerned. But Solarte and his family come first in the wake of a life changing event such as this.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Solarte and his family during this time. We hope that whatever happens, whether he is traded or not, the best outcome for their well-being is what the Padres strive to achieve.