Three Moves The San Diego Padres Should Make

Can the San Diego Padres clear up the outfield?

Outfield help to the Los Angeles Angels.

Los Angeles outfielders are slashing a combined .234/.328/.431 this season with the best player in all of baseball roaming centerfield (Mike Trout). Kole Calhoun is hitting .145 in 50 games and is on the DL with an oblique strain. That leaves the Angels with Chris Young (34) manning right field (24 strikeouts in 78 ABs) and Jabari Blash now backing him up.

Either Hunter Renfroe or Franmil Reyes need to be moved. Both have similar profiles and bring the same tools to the plate, along with the same lack of tools on the defensive side of things. The Angels need outfield help and find themselves in position to make a run if they make moves.

Travis Jankowski may make more sense for the Angels, who are in need of an on-base guy, however, he isn’t bringing in any top prospects. The Padres don’t need to fill their system with C-grade prospects, they need pieces that can contribute in the next year or two.

Jose Suarez fits the mold of the type of prospect the Padres could target. He’s only 20-years-old and pitching for the Salt Lake Bees (AAA affiliate). He started the year in High-A, using his three-pitch mix to generate 80 strikeouts in 56 combined innings and move up three levels. Suarez could be pitching in the major leagues by the end of 2018.

If you love something, sometimes it is best to let it go

Tyson Ross to the Yankees/Braves.

More from Friars on Base

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• Padres barely missed out on high-end veteran starting pitcher

That’s how the cliché goes, right? We all love Tyson Ross and what he has done this season, thus far. Ross has blossomed from a spring training roster-filler who was in competition with Chris Young for a bullpen job to one of the best pitchers in the National League.

Last week, I wrote about how the Padres should look into working out another deal with the New York Yankees. The Yankees are losing starting pitchers faster than Baltimore Orioles’ first baseman Chris Davis strikes out, putting them in the position of needing a cost-effective starting pitcher.

The Yankees make the most sense and I discuss a possible return in the above article, however, the Atlanta Braves may become players, also. They have faltered over the last few weeks but if Ronald Acuna comes back healthy and helps rejuvenate the offense again, pitching will be a major need to make the final playoff push.

One team that seems well-connected to Tyson Ross is the Seattle Mariners. Ryan Divish, a Mariners beat writer for the Seattle Times, reported that the Padres balked at a deal with Seattle for Jankowski because of the lack of depth in their farm system. The only top prospect Seattle has is outfielder Kyle Lewis, which the Padres do not have a need for. Should the Padres sell, they cannot mess up on yet another deal that involves a well-performing starting pitcher.

Next: Padres Hitters Need Your All-Star Votes

Where do you stand on the plan of attack for the Padres at the trade deadline? Should they be buyers or sellers? Who should they pursue or try and deal? Let us know!