Padres: The case for and against trading Luis Urias this offseason

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SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 25: Kristopher Negron #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is tagged out by Luis Urias #9 of the San Diego Padres as he tries to steal second base during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Petco Park September 25, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

There is a lot of talk about the San Diego Padres trading Luis Urias this offseason. We look at both sides of the argument.

The San Diego Padres will need to part with some of their top prospects this offseason in order to make this team a contender in 2020.

And it’s starting to sound more-and-more like A.J. Preller is open to the idea of picking from their farm system to do so.

In a recent article from the San Diego Union-Tribune (may need a subscription), Preller is quoted as saying that they’ll determine which prospects they can build with and which ones they’re willing to trade.

Luis Urias no longer meets the requirements to be considered a prospect, but he’s still very young in his Major League career and many feel like he could be a big trade chip this offseason.

Before the 2019 season, Urias ranked as the 31st best prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America, and 23rd best according to MLB.com.

In just over 2,000 minor league at-bats he compiled a batting average of .308 with a .397 OBP and OPS of .830 with 36 home runs and 42 stolen bases.

He looked like a star in the making and the future second baseman for the San Diego Padres alongside Fernando Tatis Jr. at shortstop.

Urias got a cup of coffee in 2018 and hit just .264 with a pair of home runs in 48 at-bats.

And then he started the 2019 season with the big league club but struggled mightily out of the gate picking up just 2 hits in 24 at-bats in April.

He went back down to Triple-A and got his groove back. But even after coming up he had just 3 hits in 31 at-bats in July.

And that is why many people are already looking to give up on him.

DENVER, COLORADO – SEPTEMBER 13: Luis Urias #9 of the San Diego Padres hits a RBI single in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 13, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Trade him

For me, trading him has nothing to do with giving up on him as a Major League player.

Rather, I think the reason you trade him now is because he still has a lot of value and could bring back a really good player at a position that the Padres are more vulnerable at (like outfield and starting pitcher).

I wrote an article on Monday talking about possible trade partners for Wil Myers. The Padres could package Urias in a trade with Myers that would allow them to get that money off the books and possibly get a good player in return.

light. Related Story. 3 landing spots for Myers

The Padres already have an insurance option in place with Ian Kinsler.

Plus, they have Xavier Edwards in the system who could be ready soon.

Edwards finished 2019 at High-A where he hit .301 in 196 at-bats. At the very least he most likely finishes the 2020 season at Double-A with a shot to make the Opening Day roster in 2021.

Bottom line is, I don’t think anyone in the Padres front office is giving up on Urias. I know I’m certainly not.

But I do think Urias’ ceiling is a light-hitting second baseman that could hit .280, maybe reach double-digit home runs, and steal close to 20 bases.

That’s a very solid player, but one that could be replaced.

If other teams still hold a lot of value for Urias — and they should — then it makes sense for the Padres to trade him this offseason. But only if it brings an impact player back or helps them move a bad contract.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 18: Luis Urias #9 of the San Diego Padres has his helmet removed by Manny Machado #13 after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on August 18, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Reasons to keep him

I kind of touched on it in the last slide, but I think Urias can still be a very solid Major League player.

To me, his floor is a .260 hitter who hits 5-10 home runs a year and steals 10-20 bases with an OBP around .325.

But his ceiling could be something like a .300 hitter who hits 15-20 home runs a year, steals 20-30 bases, and has an OBP of .360.

Most likely he settles somewhere in between those two projections, and even that is still a very good player and one I think the Padres would love hitting near the bottom of their lineup.

And another reason to keep him is because he started to show he can reach that ceiling at the end of 2019.

In August he hit .238 with a .330 OBP and a home run, but then in September when he played pretty much every day and hit towards the bottom of the lineup, he hit .300 with a .371 OBP and 2 home runs.

Hopefully Urias has figured some things out at the big league level and he could be in for a breakout season in 2020.

Again, I can see both sides of the story here. And either way, it puts the Padres in a good position.

They can trade Urias for an impact player, or they keep him and he shows he’s the second baseman of the future.

Next. 4 biggest offseason questions. dark

What do you want to see the Padres do with Urias this offseason? Let us know in the comments section below.

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There is a lot of talk about the San Diego Padres trading Luis Urias this offseason. We look at both sides of the argument.

Trade him

Reasons to keep him

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