San Diego Padres Rumors: Could Cal Quantrill be traded before the season?

The San Diego Padres have outstanding depth in their starting rotation with a couple more prospects on the way. Might Cal Quantrill be traded before the season?

It’s remarkable what a difference a year makes. Before the 2019 season, the San Diego Padres rotation was a wide-open competition with the better part of ten players having a shot at landing five slots. Heading into the 2020 season, the depth of the rotation is phenomenal to the point that it’s going to be difficult to give the team the best chance to win without hindering anyone’s development.

One of those players is Cal Quantrill, who made 23 appearances – including 18 starts – last year, posting a 5.16 ERA while striking out 89 batters in 103.0 innings of work. His ERA was heavily swayed by a 10.90 ERA in September, but many scouts believe that he can stick as a back-end of the rotation guy.

However, given that the top four guys in the rotation are established, Quantrill’s only chance at making the big league roster would presumably be as the fifth starter. Joey Lucchesi figures to be his primary competition for the job, and the 26-year-old posted a 4.18 ERA in 30 starts last year.

Lucchesi has a better strikeout rate and lower WHIP, so Quantrill’s efforts are going to be an uphill battle. Combined with the fact that Michel Baez, Adrian Morejon, and several top pitching prospects are chomping at the bit, Quantrill could potentially find himself in a different uniform before the year begins.

Let’s look at a couple of landing spots that make sense for both parties.

Might the Chicago Cubs part with Ian Happ?

It’s not a well-kept secret that the Padres lack an established center fielder. After the departure of Manuel Margot, it looks to be a two-person competition between Trent Grisham and Franchy Cordero. The former was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 15th pick in the 2015 MLB Draft and made his Major League debut last August.

His most notable contribution to the Brewers was his error in the bottom of the eighth inning in the National League Wild Card game. The Brewers traded Grisham and Davies after the season for Luis Urias and Eric Lauer.

Cordero was signed by the Padres as an international free agent in November 2011. Neither player has yet to impress, although Grisham has had much less exposure to Major League pitching. Either way, it would be beneficial for the Padres to have a back-up plan.

Ian Happ

Ian Happ is a player that could potentially use a change of scenery. He was demoted before the regular season last year due to his struggles with strikeouts. Happ was recalled to the big league roster at the end of July and slashed .264/.333/.564 (126 OPS+) while reducing his strikeout rate.

And at 25-years-old, Happ could thrive with regular playing time. He’s logged a .984 fielding percentage in center field for his career and has the potential to hit 25-to-30 home runs per year. He’s also under team control through the 2023 season.

The Cubs need pitching and, unlike the Padres, don’t have quality options for their fifth starter. Tyler Chatwood appears to be the front-runner for the job, but his time as a participant in the rotation during 2018 left a lot to be desired.

Quantrill is under contract through the 2025 season and could move up a slot or two after Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, and Chatwood become free agents after this year.

The Red Sox could part with Jackie Bradley Jr. after signing Kevin Pillar.

Jackie Bradley Jr.

Jackie Bradley Jr.’s (JBJ) career in Boston has been a roller coaster ride. He’s a perennial Gold Glove candidate, but his offense has been streaky. Drafted in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft, JBJ was considered to be a highly-touted prospect coming in 32nd overall in MLB’s Top 100 before the 2013 season.

His best year came in 2016 when he slashed .267/.349/.486 with 26 home runs and 87 RBI. As noted, he’s a terrific defender, logging a .990 fielding percentage in center field for his career.

The Red Sox recently added Kevin Pillar, who has a better track record in terms of batting average but isn’t as strong in the field. And with Boston parting with Mookie Betts earlier this month, they may opt for offense over defense in 2020.

Martin Perez is projected to be the fifth starter in Boston’s rotation this year, but another down year may warrant the team declining his $6.3 million option for 2021. A JBJ trade would also clear $11 million more from their payroll and would total approximately $55 million in cleared payroll this offseason for the Red Sox.